Don't Leave
by iPlu
Summary: Merlin is offered a chance to live in a kingdom that allows magic - yet Arthur has no intention of letting him go,even when he doesn't show it. M for up-coming chapters.
1. Introductions

**Better description: _When Merlin is offered to be the manservant of a prince who's kingdom allows magic,he doesn't know whether to accept,or not due to Arthur and his destiny - and Arthur has no intention of letting Merlin go,which only grows stronger when Morgana tells of a terrible dream she has,sparking off a new turn for Camelot._**

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><p>"Merlin." A thick,yet smooth voice said."<em>Merlin." <em>The voice said again,breaking said male out of his day dream as he stared out the large windows in Arthur's chambers.

Merlin had an expression of lost on his face as he stared at the blonde male."Hm?" He questioned,then reality came crashing down on him and he jolted slightly."O-oh!" He quickly said."I'm sorry,Arthur." He fumbled around with an apology as he looked about the room,trying to figure out why Arthur wanted his attention.

Arthur let out an exasperated sigh,before repeating what he had said moments before Merlin switched into a day dream."I said,_Merlin: _you need to prepare my armour for tomorrow's tournament. If you remember,I have a sword fighting tournament,and I need everything to be perfect. Honestly,Merlin,sometimes I wonder why I even keep you." He tutted,before nodding his head over at the laid out armour on a table to the side of them.

Merlin gave his infamous goofy grin as he apologized again,before going over to the metal and picking up Arthur's helmet.

Arthur coughed lightly,alerting the black haired male's attention. Merlin noticed the annoyed expression on the prince's face,causing him to be confused for a moment before it clicked in his mind."Oh,yeah." He said,almost forgetting to collect water - for a person couldn't possibly expect to make armour shiny without the aid of water.

Arthur rolled his eyes."Be sure to get it done before I come back from the council meeting with my father." Arthur explained,looking Merlin up and down with a look that said,'_hopeless,utterly hopeless',_before exiting his chambers and making it towards the throne room.

Merlin just smiled lightly,and waited until Arthur left before lying the armour down on the bed and making his way towards the village,where he would collect the bucket of water.

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><p>Arthur entered the throne room to see his father stood in front of the throne, addressing the kingdom's council and a few knights that were already working within the kingdom.<p>

"Ah,my son." Uther stated as Arthur walked in,making the people turn around to nod at him in respect."We were just about to start." He explained,placing a hand on his son's shoulder as he stood besides his father.

Arthur looked at everyone in front of him with a acknowledging expression,before looking back at his father."What are we discussing,father?" He asked.

"The tournament,of course." Uther replied with a brief smile - but it wasn't friendly."And how you're going to do me proud,once again. You won last year against Knight Valiant,and we were all saying how you're going to win this year." He explained,and everyone murmured an agreement.

Arthur smiled politely at everyone,before saying: "Yes,father. I'll try my best." Earning a small smile from Uther again,and a brief pat on the back.

"Good." Uther said,almost sounding like a threat hiding in that one word,as though he really wanted to say,'_Good,or else.' _

"I also wish for you to greet the other knights." Uther continued."They should be arriving anytime now,and I want you to go to the sight where they will be setting up. It's only polite to greet your apponent in a fair contest." He advised.

Arthur nodded and said nothing more as his father withdrew the hand from his shoulder.

"I hope you have everything sorted out." Uther commented,rather than asked.

"Yes,Merlin will be preparing my armour right about now." Arthur replied,hoping that his manservant was. Merlin had been his manservant for a long time now,and Arthur noticed that Merlin was gradually getting better at performing his duties. But,he still remained his goofy self,which Arthur found refreshing at times - he needed Merlin in a light-hearted mood whenever he came back to his chambers in a foul one,just to cheer him up.

"Right." Uther replied,clearly unimpressed. Uther hadn't like Merlin that much,but he was grateful for the times that the male would save his sons life,although he definitely didn't show it. Uther then adressed the council and knights."Knights,you will attend tomorrow and explain to the new contestants what will happen. There are previous contestants who entered last year,so you will see familiar faces. Knights are dismissed." He explained,and the knights bowed and exited the throne room."As for the council,I would like for you to remain to discuss the food supplied to the village."

Arthur wanted to sigh outloud - this was the most boring part of a council meeting. Although,what part of a council meeting _wasn't _boring? Discussing the food and water supplies of the village bored Arthur,and it was even more boring without Merlin.

Merlin would usually linger near the wall as Uther talked to the council members,pulling faces every now and again,or pretend to fall asleep when Uther said something incredibly boring. And Arthur would have to contain his laughter,and try to keep a straight face and pay attention to his father.

'_Well,' _Arthur thought with sadness,'_Time to day dream.' _Although it wasn't the right thing to do. Arthur noticed that his usual princely self lowered the more he was around Merlin,and even in thought. It was strange,but Arthur never questioned it further: Merlin's goofy self could drive anyone to act abnormal.

When Uther was finished,Arthur excused himself and made his way back to his chambers,where he found no Merlin and his armour still set out on his bed. Arthur shook his head and frowned at the ignorant attitude of Merlin,before making his way over to the window and awaiting his manservant's return.

Yet,as he looked out the window,he spotted Merlin and Gwen near the water pump and one of the knights falling out of line to stop near the two. Arthur watched,intrigued,as Merlin started talking to the knight and dismissed the bucket full of water he set out to collect.

"Once again,ignoring your duties,Merlin." Arthur muttered.

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><p>The village was a buzz of excitement for the tournaments tomorrow,with plenty of banners to colour the castle walls. Street venders lined some of the huts,selling vegetables and fruit - although,this was mostly normal,but today it seemed different. The mood was high and mighty,and Merlin couldn't help but smile as he made his way towards the water pump with a bucket.<p>

"Merlin!" A female voice shouted,making Merlin stop to see who it was. Gwen was walking towards him with a smile on her face.

"Hey,Gwen." Merlin greeted,giving her a smile as he waited until she joined his side,before making it over to the water pump and placing the bucket underneath the pipe.

"How are you today?" Gwen asked,manning the water pump,helping Merlin to obtain the water.

Merlin held the bucket steady as the water came full-force. Gwen may not look strong on the outside,but she sure gave it away when she had to chance."I'm good. A bit in trouble with Arthur,though." He admitted,though he chuckled afterwards.

"That's just Arthur,though." Gwen replied,but her eyes widened a little bit."Not that I'm saying Arthur is always mean - well,he is sometimes - but..I mean,he'll make a great king one day,I'm sure." She stumbled over her words,but went quiet in the end as Merlin looked at her with a small amount of sympathy.

"No,you're right." Merlin said."That's just Arthur." He repeated,grinning lightly,but their conversation was drawn to a close as the sound of the villagers gathering around the gates of Camelot was heard,along with the sound of hooves. Merlin picked up his full bucket of water and tried to catch a glimpse of the commotion,but the crowd blocked his view.

Merlin soon saw what the commotion was when the crowd had to part to make way for the horses,and the men riding on them. It was the contestants for tomorrow,dressed in the most mighty armour that Merlin had ever seen. They each had different emblems on the cloak of their horses,with different colours to match.

"Oh,wow." Gwen stated as she clasped her hands together,pressing them against her sternum as she surveyed the sight of the knights from other kingdoms. She looked back at Merlin with a huge grin,before looking back at the knights who were now trotting by on the horses,towards the sight where they would be setting up for tomorrow.

Merlin stared at one knight that was drawing nearer,following after the knight in front who had long since passed Gwen and Merlin. This knights emblem had a dragon - just like the Pendragon emblem - yet this one was black and was curled around a staff. Merlin seemed to be drawn to it,and he didn't realize he'd been staring at the emblem until Gwen nudged him.

"Look up." Gwen whispered,and Merlin looked up to see that the knight had stopped directly besides them,letting the other knights pass by. He had fallen out of line to guide his horse towards the two on-lookers.

Merlin and the knight stared at each other,each taking in the features of the other. The knight looked tall,even when he was sat on the horse,and had slightly long light brown hair with dark brown eyes to match. Merlin didn't know whether to feel intimidated,or confused as to why this knight had stopped in front of them,when the male started to speak.

"You're..Merlin,correct?" The knight spoke,his voice just as smooth as Arthur's,but somehow more mysterious. The other knights had gone by now and the villagers had separated and went about their day,exchanging glances at one another,wondering why that one knight was still lingering around. None of the villagers deemed brave enough to ask,so they dismissed it.

"Yeah,I am." Merlin replied,standing up straight and looking the knight in the eye."Who's asking?" He asked,and he heard Gwen shift nervously. It was no way to talk to a knight,but Merlin didn't mind: he was used to speaking casually to Arthur,and he was a prince,so he had no fear in standing up to another royal prat.

The knight smirked at Merlin's question."My name is Sir Laurence Carlisle." He introduced,but he didn't offer his hand for Merlin to shake. Instead,he dismounted his horse and stood amongst the two,which a knight would rarely do for the sake of a mere introduction.

Merlin raised an eyebrow,looking over at Gwen who remained quiet and almost shy of the newly acquainted knight."Nice to meet you,I suppose." Merlin said,sticking out his hand in front of Laurence,who meekly stared at it before continuing his talking.

"And will you be at the tournament tomorrow,Merlin?" Laurence asked,holding the reins of his horse. The horse was pure white,and looked massive from where they were stood. The horse acknowledged Merlin when the male looked at it,whinning slightly before turning it's head the other way and looking elsewhere.

Merlin looked back at Laurence,after noticing the strange glint in the horses's eyes."Yes - yes,I will be." Merlin replied."I'll be preparing Prince Arthur,since I'm his manservant." He explained,noticing the impressed look on the knight's face,making Merlin feel a tad bit proud for some odd reason.

And then Merlin realized he'd forgotten his duties,and his heart flipped."Ah!" He said,making Laurence and Gwen frown."I'm sorry,I have to go. I was meant to be cleaning Arthur's armour!" He excused himself and made it back into the castle as fast as he could,without spilling the bucket of water.

Merlin didn't know how long he'd been talking to Laurence,but Arthur's frustrated face when Merlin ran into his chambers indicated that it had been long enough.

"Where have you been?" Arthur asked,standing besides the window with his hands clasped behind his back. There was no hiding the annoyance in the blonde's tone as he waited for Merlin to reply.

Merlin set the bucket of water on the table before trying to excuse himself by stumbling out an explaination."Sorry,Arthur. I was..um.." He began,feeling even more nervous under Arthur's unyielding stare. The prince never much shown emotion.

"Talking idly to a knight?" Arthur finished for him,and Merlin nodded,before realizing what Arthur had said.

"How did you know?" Merlin asked,and almost palmed his forehead when he answered his own question."Because..you can see out onto the village,right?"

Arthur nodded."And I happened to catch you dawdling and talking to one of the knights. What,Merlin,could the knight have said so importantly to take you away from your duties that I set you?" He asked.

"He.." Merlin began,but saw the sarcastically intrigued expression on the blonde's face."Nothing important,sire." He said,looking down at the floor for a moment before mumbling an apology and taking the armour from the bed to begin cleaning them with the water.

"Right." Arthur said,before walking towards the door of his chambers."Well,I'll be mostly away,greeting the other contestants. This time,complete your duties,Merlin." He said,before disappearing.

Merlin couldn't help but grin as he worked on the armour. Even though Arthur was angry at him,he didn't do anything about it and only let Merlin off with a small telling off. That was what Merlin liked about Arthur: he may act mean,but he never seemed to punish Merlin for any mistake he made.

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><p>Arthur made his way over to the sight of the knights,accompanied by two of his own guards following closely behind. There were already tents being set up,adorned with the banners of each,individual knight's emblem of the places they traveled from.<p>

Talking to a few knights,Arthur eventually came round to a knight who's emblem was a dragon,curled around a staff. It was an unusual emblem,and Arthur found it quite disturbing at the same time.

The knight looked up and greeted Athur."Sire - nice to make your acquaintance." He bowed slightly,which Arthur brushed off.

"Hm." Arthur simply said,before nodding over at the emblem."I've never seen that before. Which part of you from,Sir...?" He asked,frowning slightly as he didn't know the knight's name.

"Laurence Carlisle." Laurence spoke,before looking over at his emblem."I come from Paravel,west of Camelot." He replied to the question as he started to clean his sword with a cloth. Arthur picked up on this.

"Have you no manservant?" Arthur asked,unimpressed. A person of high class should have a manservant,or maidservant at least.

Laurence shook his head."No,sire." He replied,"I've yet to find one suitable." He added,putting aside his sword and standing tall."Say,you have a manservant called Merlin,correct?" Laurence asked,noting the slight shift of expression on the blonde's face at the mention of Merlin.

Arthur breathed in deeply."Yes,he is my manservant. But,what does that matter?" He asked,realizing now that this was the knight that Merlin was talking to earlier before.

"He has quite a fiery attitude,if I may say so." Laurence replied,chuckling afterwards."Doesn't quite know his place." He added.

Arthur simply stared at Laurence for a while,before letting out a quiet _'hmph'. _"Merlin is my business,and I will state whether he belongs,or not. Thank you,Sir Laurence." He bluntly put,causing Laurence to smirk.

"As you wish,sire. And good luck for tomorrow." Laurence replied,watching as Arthur gave him a quick nod and carried on his way to greet the other contestants.

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><p>Merlin finally managed to prepare Arthur's armour,just in time as Arthur walked into the room and instantly sat down on his bed,letting out a long sigh.<p>

"Arthur?" Merlin asked,setting down the helmet he was cleaning to stand near the bed."Everything alright?" He asked.

Arthur took a while to look up at Merlin,his face clearly indicating that he was tired."Just exhausted from the day,Merlin." He gave no further explaination as he ran a hand through his blonde hair and yawned.

Merlin just nodded."I will run you a bath,then. And then I'll leave you alone." He explained.

The bath was prepared a while later and Arthur instantly relaxed as he took to the water. Merlin smiled,before excusing himself and making his way towards Gaius's quarters for the remainder of the day,since Arthur didn't need his assistance anymore.


	2. The Offer

When Merlin entered Gaius's quarters,he instantly regretted is as the old man shoved bottles into his hands.

"These are to be given to each individual contestant for courage." Gaius instructed,before shuffling over to his desk and sitting down."Thank you,Merlin." He said,smiling briefly at the young warlock,before examining a book.

Merlin sighed and arranged the bottles with yellow liquid in them so that he could carry them better. He did wish Gaius would give him a chance to get through the door before setting him on a task. Still,it gave Merlin a chance to mingle with the knights and see the different emblems - especially the one with the dragon emblem that stirred something inside of him,almost like he was purposely drawn to it.

Towards the sight,Merlin spotted Gwen and called to her,which she looked up and smiled."Gwen." Merlin said."I'm sorry for running off on you before,it was rude of me." He apologized.

Gwen shook her head."No,no,it's alright,Merlin." She replied,noticing the heap of bottles teetering in Merlin's arms."Do you need any help with that?" She offered,reaching out to collect some of the tiny bottles.

"Oh,thanks,Gwen." Merlin said,instantly feeling less disorganized the less he had to carry. '_Why had there to be so many contestants?' _Merlin thought as he walked and talked with Gwen.

"Did Laurence say anything to you when I left?" Merlin asked,curiosity getting ahold of him as he walked along the muddy path towards the fields where colourful tents came into view. It almost looked like a festival,what with the colours and crowds of different looking people.

"He only asked how long you'd been Arthur's manservant for,so I replied that it was over a year." Gwen explained,looking down at the odd bottles cradled in her arms."What are these for,anyway? ..If you don't mind me asking,that is." Gwen said,and was about to start a rant when Merlin cut her off gently.

"To give the knights courage for tomorrow." Merlin replied,picking a bottle from his arms and holding it up to the dim sunlight,but the thick yellow liquid let no light past it. Merlin made a disgusted face,before placing it,nestled in his arms again."Looks disgusting,though." He commented,making Gwen laugh and agree with a nod.

"Let's hope it works." Gwen commented,before they made it towards the tents where they started to hand each knight the bottles. Some knights thanked them and stored them,whilst others instantly drank the foul looking yellow,making Merlin pull another face before quickly going to the next knight.

The dragon wound around the staff came to the young warlock's attention again,but he was surprised to see that Laurence wasn't there. He looked near the tent,before deciding to enter the tent.

"Laurence?" Merlin asked as he stepped through the tent,before being met with the man himself as he looked up - since he had to bow slightly as he walked through the tent,for he was lanky - giving him a start and making him forget what he was there for.

"Couldn't wait to talk to me again,Merlin?" Laurence asked,giving a loud laugh afterwards and flashing Merlin a smile. Merlin averted his gaze,before handing over the bottle to the knight."And what's this?" Laurence asked,taking the bottle and examining it.

"Courage." Merlin meekly said,meeting his eyes with Laurence for a moment as he looked up. Laurence smiled softly at him,before saying: "It looks like _you _need the courage better than me,Merlin."

Merlin didn't reply for a while,until he remembered he had to hand the other bottles out."I have to go now." He said,before exiting the tent,but Laurence took his arm and stopped him.

"I don't know Camelot too well - would you mind giving me a quick tour,Merlin?" Laurence asked,grinning as Merlin stared at him for a while."It won't take long,I'm sure." Laurence goaded.

Merlin composed himself."I need to hand out the rest of the bottles,and then I could give you a tour." He promised,and Laurence released his arm.

"Alright,then." Laurence replied,before holding up his bottle."And thank you for this." He said,then Merlin exited his tent.

Laurence smirked after Merlin left,opening up the bottle and drinking the contents."And a tour,you shall." He commented to himself.

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><p>It was a while before Merlin returned back to Laurence,quickly apologizing for taking so long,but the knight dismissed it with a quick pat on Merlin's shoulder and told him to guide the way. Merlin had explained to Gwen that he was giving a tour to Laurence,and she only nodded and finished handing out the bottles before biding her goodbyes and returning back to her home.<p>

"So," Laurence began as he and Merlin walked through the village,slowly. It was a slow tour,Merlin noted,but he couldn't object,since he didn't have anything else to do,and the knight had requested a tour."This girl. The one from before.."

"Gwen." Merlin interrupted,"Well,Guinevere. But,she prefers to be called Gwen by friends." He explained as he looked over at Laurence.

"Gwen,then." Laurence began again."Is she your girlfriend?" He asked,making Merlin cough suddenly,until the knight had to pat him on the back to stop him.

When Merlin stopped coughing,he shook his head."No,we're good friends." He corrected.

In truth,Merlin wasn't much interested in girls as he grew up taught - it was another one of his secrets that he kept burrowed deeper than his magic. He hadn't told anyone that he preferred male company,not even Gwen. He was simply too afraid to come out,since he knew the consequences of being a sorcerer: then what would become of being homosexual? He dared not find out,so he kept his secret hidden - and had done for quite a long time,especially since he had taken a fancy to the prince himself. Merlin and Arthur had become closer over the years,but Merlin secretly wished that their relationship was something more,even though Arthur would never know. To shock the prince with magic was one thing,but declaring his fancy was another,much worse thing.

Laurence noted Merlin's quietness and turned to him when they had wandered into the castle's courtyards,where nobody else was in sight. Merlin hadn't noticed as he was too busy with his thoughts. It was when he,also,realized the quietness of the knight besides him,did he become alert.

"Merlin." Laurence began,making Merlin look at him as they stopped walking."If you could have anything in the world,what would it be?" He asked,making Merlin frown. It was an odd question.

Yet,Merlin wanted so desperately to say,'_To be able to show everyone who I am. To let them see the sorcerer I am,and for the ban of magic to be lifted off Camelot.' _But,he knew that was dangerous,as this knight could easily run to Uther and declare everything,and that would be the end of Merlin.

"Anything?" Merlin repeated,thinking for a reasonable answer."Well,I suppose I wouldn't mind money." He replied. '_Such a stupid answer.' _Merlin thought,mentally slapping himself.

Laurence only laughed."Yes,everyone would want riches." He replied."There must be something else you'd want,surely?" He goaded,and Merlin saw something in Laurence's eyes that sent a shiver down his spine. It was almost _daring,_as though Laurence was trying to coax a more serious answer out of him.

Merlin stared back at the knight for what seemed like ages,before saying: "I don't know. It's not like I'd have the opportunity." And in all honesty,he knew he was right about this answer. Merlin knew he wouldn't have the opportunity to have anything,especially the allowance of magic in Camelot.

But,then Merlin thought of a witty second answer. He cracked a grin,and said: "Most probably a break from being Arthur's manservant." Laughing lightly afterwards,but he noticed the seriousness on the knight's face and he stopped laughing."Why?" Merlin asked.

"Come,Merlin." Laurence said,dismissing the question and placing a hand on the male's shoulder,pushing him slightly forward to continue their now-forgotten tour.

Merlin frowned lightly,but walked along anyway. He thought the knight strange,but didn't question as he knew not to,after spending so much time with the most royal prat called Arthur.

They walked onwards and came to the gardens behind the castle,filled with lush,green trees and grass to match. Most of the garden was filled with flowers by the request of Lady Morgana,colour of purple and white.

Laurence spotted a stone bench and made Merlin sit down next to him,looking over the view of the gardens. Merlin found the gardens pleasant,as there was a certain peaceful atmosphere about it and the sun was strongest here,making the colours seem brighter and more vibrant.

"Where do you come from?" Merlin asked suddenly,turning to look at the knight. He was interested in the emblem,as he'd never seen it before.

"I come from Paravel,Merlin." Laurence replied."West of Camelot." He added."Interested?" He asked,smirking lightly.

"Your emblem." Merlin said,oblivious to the smirk that was passed his way."I've never seen it before. It's..different." He said,and it certainly was. The dragon was popular,but to be wound around a staff that mostly resembled magic was different altogether,and Merlin wanted to know more.

"Ah,I see." Laurence said,looking over the garden as he chose his words carefully. Merlin noticed the hesitation,and felt oddly uncomfortable for a second."The dragon - as you may know,since your prince has it - represents strength and power." He began,and Merlin listened intently."Whilst the staff it's wound around.." He trailed off,looking at Merlin and lowering his voice."_Well,you already know,Merlin_."

Merlin drew back slightly."What do you mean?" He asked,although he knew perfectly what Laurence meant. But,how did he know? Merlin had only met this knight today,and for a few hours,and he hadn't performed any sorcery,he was positive he hadn't.

Laurence looked at Merlin with a doubtful look."Don't act innocent,Merlin." He commented,and Merlin looked away from the deep browns,feeling more uncomfortable. Merlin - no longer feeling safe - stood up quickly.

"I have to go. I was meant to be back at Gaius's a while ago." Merlin excused,and was about to walk off when Laurence grabbed his arm for the second time,stopping him once again.

"Merlin." Laurence spoke,his voice soft this time and Merlin saw those deep browns shift into what he thought was sympathy,or kindness."You know the staff represents magic." Merlin tensed and Laurence felt it."Don't be scared. It'll be between us two." He tried to reassure,but Merlin tried to pull away,only to be pulled forward by the knight strongly.

"Merlin,before I asked you: if you could have anything in the world,what would it be? You were hesitant,but I knew you wanted to say for magic to be allowed." Laurence began,seeing the shift in the young warlock's eyes to a lighter colour as he waited for the knight to explain further. Laurence stopped gripping Merlin tightly,but still kept his hold."Well,I can give you that chance,Merlin. I lied about being a knight. I am the prince of Paravel,and my kingdom allows the use of magic. If you accept to be my manservant,I will give you the allowance of magic."

Unbeknownst to the two,Arthur was watching the whole scenario from an above window. He was walking past to go in search of Merlin,as he needed the male to move his armour,since he forgot to tell him to.

He happened to look out the window briefly,but stopped when he saw the knight he spoke to before,gripping Merlin's arm. Arthur watched as Laurence pulled Merlin forward,causing his manservant to stumble slightly as Laurence came face to face with him,saying something that the prince couldn't hear. Arthur watched as Merlin said something else,standing up straight as though he wasn't being forcefully gripped by the knight anymore - as though he was fine.

Merlin stared wide-eyed at Laurence,which the knight picked up on."What?" Merlin whispered,his heart flipping as he took in the new information. But,most importantly,the offer for him to be able to use magic.

He felt giddy all of a sudden,but then his conscience came crashing down on him like a tone of bricks. '_No - I have to serve Arthur..it's my destiny.' _He thought,but the side of him that longed for the ban of magic to be lifted argued with him,saying that _this was the chance he always wanted_,and that he should take it. Laurence didn't seem bothered by the fact that Merlin was a sorcerer,which only made Merlin feel happier.

"I can..use magic freely?" Merlin asked.

"Yes,Merlin." Laurence replied,releasing his grasp on the male once he knew he wouldn't rush off."My kingdom holds many people who obtain magic,and you will be treated with respect,as do all my people." He continued.

Merlin's head was spinning: this couldn't be real. Not at all. He blinked a few times,but everything was real. There was an actual offer at hand,which was sounding more and more tempting.

"_Merlin!" _Arthur's voice rang out above them,causing the two to look up,to see the prince leaning out of a window above them,looking down at them."What did I say about talking idly?" He said."If you're quite done,I need you to move my armour." He added,giving Laurence a look that could kill,before disappearing from the window,the window closing afterwards.

Merlin looked back at Laurence,who simply stood up,leaned forward and whispered: "_Think about it." _before walking past Merlin and back towards the sight.

Merlin stood where he was,his eyes locking with the knight's as he whispered those words. For some odd reason - although Merlin blamed his fogged mind - he thought he saw an odd glimmer of orange and red in Laurence's eyes. Dismissing it,he made the dreaded walk back to Arthur's chambers.

* * *

><p>"What was so important now?" Arthur asked as Merlin met him in the hallway,on the way to the prince's chambers.<p>

"He wanted a tour of the place." Merlin replied - it was the truth after all,but it didn't end up as planned. Merlin's mind was still fogged from the offer that he couldn't help but grin.

Arthur cocked his head to the side,frowning."What are you grinning at,Merlin?" He asked,although he tried to refrain from grinning himself. Merlin's grin was contagious,atleast to the prince it was.

Merlin looked embarrassed."Nothing,sire." He said,trying to look Arthur in the eyes,but he couldn't without blushing. He tended to blush around Arthur whenever he would question intently. It made Merlin feel like the blonde was actually interested in what he had to say this time round.

He tended to notice the constant questions from Arthur,even irrelevant ones which he'd never ask such as,'_How was your day,Merlin?' _or '_Do you like being inside the castle?' _ But the one question that remained in Merlin's mind was the time he asked,'_Do you like being my manservant?' _With which Merlin replied yes casually,as he did. Sure ,he didn't enjoy the arduous work,but he enjoyed getting to talk to the prince and be around him. Even though he knew Arthur didn't know how he felt,it was still a chance for Merlin to be close to the prince.

Merlin didn't know,but Arthur felt the same. If anyone asked Arthur whether he liked Merlin being his manservant,he would have said yes in a heart beat. Arthur hated to admit it,but he found Merlin's company pleasant: like a breath of fresh air from the stress of being a prince. Over the years,Arthur had felt himself being drawn towards his manservant in a way he couldn't describe. He recognized that he didn't feel that way around any ladies he encountered,or around Lady Morgana. He always wanted to know where Merlin was,what he was doing and who he was speaking to.

Such as the distracting knight that seemed to be drawing Merlin away from his duties.

Arthur didn't like it the first time with the water situation,but the second time just now,as Laurence was gripping his manservant's arm: it struck a nerve deep inside the prince,a nerve that was adviced not to be tampered with. He felt almost frustrated that a mere knight from some place he hadn't heard of would be taking Merlin's attention away from him. And the fact that Laurence had the nerve to even say that Merlin _didn't know his place _when Arthur was talking to him before.

Arthur didn't know why he would feel his anger flare up,but he always felt calmer - _happier -_ when Merlin was in his company and nobody else's.

"Very well." Arthur replied,releasing a long held breath."Move my armour to the tent near the tournament stadium. Be there tomorrow early morn." He explained,before walking off.

"Yes,Arthur." Merlin said,before walking off in the opposite direction.

Arthur couldn't help but smile - he always felt happier whenever Merlin called him by his given name,instead of the 'sire' nonesence.

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><p><strong>Please review,if you have time. Thank you!<strong>


	3. The Tournament

**Dear lawd - I got the most wonderful shock when I checked my e-mails,and saw over 40 e-mails: favourite,story alert,reviews,author alert..etc.**

**Thank you ever so much for the lovely reviews - they truly made my day. I'll be sure to add all those who reviewed to my little thank-you list on my profile.**

**Anyway,here's the third chapter. This was meant to be uploaded yesterday,but it didn't seem to want to upload,so I was a bit disappointed - but,thankfully,it worked now.**

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><p>Night fell quickly upon Camelot and most people were asleep,unaware that one of their inhabitants was wide awake and roaming the castle,his mind full of questions and hard-hitting decisions as he took the flame to his dry wood and descended down the stone stairs carefully,looking behind him every so often in fear of somebody following him.<p>

Merlin needed to speak to the dragon,and quickly. The tournament was tomorrow and he was certain that Laurence would be looking out for him,seeking the answer that fogged Merlin's mind and made him feel helpless.

"Please,don't hide!" Merlin shouted out,his voice echoing in the cave."I need your help,desperately." He added,sweeping his torch side to side to alert the dragon.

A great booming sounded,and soon Merlin was swept by the wind from the beat of the dragon's wings. The dragon clutched the cragged rocks,and folded his wings,staring straight at the young warlock.

"Desperately,you say?" The dragon said,laughing greatly afterwards as though it was the greatest joke on earth."Why,whenever do you come down here,seeking _delayed _help,young warlock?" He commented,laughing again and changing his position to show Merlin the amused glint in his massive eyes.

Merlin had no patience for the dragon,after dealing with the wittiness of him for more than a year."Please,I need you to help me. There is a prince that has offered me a chance to live in his kingdom where magic is allowed." He explained,and noticed the way the dragon's eyes seemed to grow darker."You said my destiny is with Arthur,but this could be a chance to change. To bring magic to Camelot." Merlin continued and almost begged again when the dragon shifted backwards and opened his wings,as though he was going to take off in flight. But,the dragon remained put.

"With a new path,comes danger." The dragon informed,his voice lowered,thundering inside the young warlock's skull."With new danger,comes a path." The dragon said,before grinning and beating his wings - his decision to fly off certain.

"Wait!" Merlin shouted,but the dragon was already flying off,up into the deeper caverns,ignoring the pleas from Merlin."You never give me a straight answer!" He shouted,feeling his anger and confusement bubbling. The dragon had long sinced gone,and Merlin was left with an unusual answer,once again.

Huffing,Merlin made his way back up the stone stairs. That hadn't helped his decision at all.

The sky was a dark navy when Merlin emerged out of the castle,the torch still flaming in his hand,before he snuffed it out by dipping it in the water pump basin below. The torch made a hissing noise as the flame went out and Merlin was about to head on over to Gaius's quarters,when he noticed the hissing noise was continuous. He frowned: the torch went out quickly,and the hissing noise was only meant to last a few seconds.

Merlin looked back at the water pump basin,and sure enough,the torch was wet and no longer usable. And then a noise sounded,which chilled Merlin to the bone. There was a deep growling somewhere near him.

Looking around quickly,Merlin spotted nothing. There was nothing between the huts or near the castle,which made matters worse. There was nothing worse than being blind to the unknown.

"Who's there?" Merlin spoke,swallowing a lump in his throat when the growling stopped and the night was silent furthermore. Merlin daren't move as he squinted his eyes to see through the darkness,and possibly see a figure of some sort. But,none availed and he ended up walking quickly towards Gaius's quarters,his heart hammering.

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><p>The morning light awoke Merlin annoyingly,causing him to groan as the sunlight shone on his face strongly through the crack in the shutters near his rickety bed.<p>

And then he became aware of something different in his room: a figure. Somebody stood besides his bed,looming slightly. Merlin couldn't see yet,as most people awake groggily and find themselves taking a while to collect themselves and take in their surroundings upon first light,especially if that person had been disturbed by the warmth of the sun on their face.

"Time to get up,Merlin." The figure said."Busy day ahead." Merlin groaned,thinking - for some reason - that he was back home,and his mother was waking him up.

"..not yet,mother." Merlin whispered,but his breath was hitched out of him as his shoulders were gripped and he was shaken quite viciously. Merlin couldn't understand why his mother would do such a thing,so he looked panicked stricken.

"Just because I haven't cut my hair in a while,does not means to say that I look entirely like Hunith." The figure said,and that's when Merlin realized it was Arthur.

Merlin sat upright and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands,until he saw the blonde prince clearly with an unimpressed expression on his face,one hand grasping his blonde hair as he examined the length of it.

"Do you.." Arthur began,running a hand through his hair."..really think it's time that I had a haircut?" He asked,then collected himself and shook his head."Nevermind. Come on,Merlin. You have alot to do today,and I don't believe in _idleness." _He emphasised the last word,and Merlin knew instantly what - or _who _- he was referring to.

"Is this about yesterday?" Merlin asked,stopping Arthur as he made for the door,his head turned to the left slightly as he listened. Merlin stood up from his bed."Because you're not hiding your anger very well." He added,grinning.

Arthur stared back out into the main quarters,where the place was alone since Gaius had gone out for some new herbs,with no thanks to Merlin lazing about. After a moments hesitation,Arthur turned to face Merlin and asked: "What was he saying to you? Please,e_nlighten me." _Arthur said,trying his best to sound sarcastic and possibly cruel at the same time. But,inside,he wanted to say it in a manner of desperation - he wanted to know why Laurence had drawn Merlin's attention so. Yet,Arthur remained with a bored expression as he thinned his lips slightly to emphasise his sarcasm.

Merlin stared at Arthur,and saw something different about his prince. The blonde would usually shine as bold and fearless to Merlin,but now - in this tiny bedroom with scarce light - he saw a crack in Arthur's mask. Merlin noticed that the prince's usual stance was less sharp,and more slouched. His jaw line tremoured briefly,and his eyes became softened the more he stared at the young warlock - as though he was trying his hardest to keep his composure. Arthur shifted a little under Merlin's stare,before he blurted out: "The tournaments fast approaching. Be near the stadium in ten minutes,Merlin." And quickly - though tried to swiftly - exited the room and slammed the door behind him,not with the elegance of a prince,but the manner of a mere peasant that had no care for looking after things.

Merlin slumped back down on his bed. The mere thought of the offer that Laurence set had created a new vision. Merlin was starting to notice the little quirks of Arthur that he hadn't noticed before. But,he guessed that it was his heart playing tricks on him,attempting to make him believe that Arthur cared.

Getting dressed quickly,Merlin made his way over to the stadium where the tournaments were soon to commence. The emblems painted on shields were already being displayed on the leader board,ready for when the fighting began. Merlin saw Arthur's emblem: the yellow dragon sat on a red background. And then Laurence's emblem: the black dragon wound around a staff,sat on an orange background.

Merlin walked over to the leader board and absent-mindedly picked up Laurence's emblem,staring down at it in his hands. He was staring so long at it that he didn't notice Arthur stood behind him,looking over his shoulder and down at the shield in Merlin's hand.

Arthur bit the inside of his mouth,and tried not to sigh as he quietly made his way back to his tent,acting himself up into an uncaring attitude for when Merlin arrived. He couldn't do it as he reached up with one hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose,squeezing his eyes shut as he felt a sudden nausea creep up at seeing Merlin staring hard at that..that _moronic _knight's emblem.

"Mine's better." Arthur whispered to himself.

"Hm?" Merlin said from behind him,making Arthur look up quickly,his heart catching in his throat at being caught at a weak moment."What did you say?" Merlin asked.

Arthur stood up straight and snapped out an answer."You're hearing things." Before making his way over to his armour. When Merlin didn't come forward,he sent a sharp look over his shoulder."By the time you finish day dreaming,the tournament would have already been over." He commented.

Just as he said that,the sound of shuffling feet arose outside the tent,indicating the arrival of the spectators. Merlin stood besides Arthur,accidentally brushing against the blonde's arm,nearly shoving him out of the way. Merlin looked up quickly,about to apologize when he noticed that Arthur hadn't even noticed and only stared back at Merlin with a confused look. "What?" Arthur asked,but he didn't snap. Instead,he said it normal and only made Merlin smile when Arthur said: "Do you need me to go through the pieces,even though you've been my manservant for...hm,how long? Over a year? Sometimes,Merlin."

Merlin only breathed a laugh."I think I can handle it,sire." He replied.

Arthur tutted and stood in the middle of the tent,waiting for Merlin to dress him with his armour. Merlin picked up the chain-mail and fitted it over the blonde's body,alongside the torso piece which fit nicely. As Merlin was sorting out the rest of the prince's armour,Arthur muttered: "And you know to call me by my name,Merlin. You've known me far too long for formalities now." Even though it was muttered,Merlin heard it crystal clear and grinned as he finished the armour fitting,placing Arthur's helmet under his arm.

The sound of a horn cut through the air,indicating that all contestants were to make it to the centre of the stadium where they would begin afterwards.

"Good luck." Merlin said,opening the tent to let Arthur walk out.

"I don't need luck,Merlin." Arthur replied,smirking,before making it down the passageway towards the centre of the stadium,where he quickly joined in the line of the other contestants.

Merlin made his way over to the sidelines,remembering the last time he did this to prevent Arthur getting poisoned by Knight Valiant's snake shield. It brought Merlin back to last night,when he heard the hissing noise and growling. Sure,it was nothing he hadn't heard before,but with the recent offer,everything seemed to be different and almost mysterious.

Before Merlin could contemplate anymore,the first round had begun between two knights that Merlin hardly spoke to. He remembered their faces from handing out the bottles,but he only greeted them and told them what the bottles were for. The round came to an end quickly,and the winner's emblem was moved up.

A few more knights had passed by,some progressing up the leader board,and some leaving the stadium with their heads low and their dignity shattered. Merlin sent his condolences to some knights as they walked past him,but neither spoke to him back as they brushed past.

"_...Arthur and Stephen..." _The announcer spoke,bringing back Merlin's attention as he watched Arthur walk out to the centre,his hand held up as he looked at the crowd members with a smile that had been used so often,it lacked it's warmth. The knight Stephen followed after,and soon they were engaged in a sword fight.

Merlin watched intently as Arthur delivered a blow to Stephen's shield,causing the knight to flail slightly.

"_Woo!" _Merlin yowled,catching a glimpse of Arthur's eyes as the prince flicked his eyes over him,a smile forming on his lips."_Quick,dodge to the left!" _Merlin shouted as Stephen jabbed his sword forward,but Arthur complied to Merlin's instructions and dodged it by skimming to the left."_Right jab!" _Merlin instructed again,and Arthur shoved his sword to the right of Stephen which the knight tried to block with his shield,but ended up getting the brunt of Arthur's sword and getting pushed off his feet,landing on the ground with a _thud._

Merlin smiled wide and started clapping with the crowd as Arthur won the round,the Pendragon emblem moving up the board,nearing the top after so many wins. Merlin watched the person in charge of the board move the Pendragon shield,and noticed that it was settled alongside Laurence's emblem.

Arthur looked over at Merlin with an appreciative smile,their eyes holding for a long time until the announcer spoke: "_Arthur and Laurence.." _Arthur's grip on his sword tightened as he realized who he was up against,his gaze turning away from Merlin and towards Laurence who was now advancing towards him with a small smirk.

"You can do it_." _Merlin spoke,since he didn't need to shout as the crowd was now settled,waiting for somebody to make a move first.

Laurence smiled kindly over at Merlin.

"He wasn't speaking to _you." _Arthur seethed,although he tried to be polite,remembering his father's words to be polite to your apponont. _No matter how bloody annoying. _

Laurence looked back at Arthur and chuckled lightly."He will be soon." He spoke,making Arthur frown,but he had to act fast when Laurence delivered the first blow of his sword to Arthur's shield,dazing the prince for a moment. Arthur soon found his feet again and clanged his sword against Laurence's when he tried to jab it near the knight's chest.

"And what does that mean?" Arthur spoke between clangs of their swords.

"Well,_sire." _Laurence said,pushing his sword forward,trying to off-balance Arthur,but the blonde refused to budge and pushed back."I have proposed an offer on Merlin,which he couldn't possibly refuse." He explained,watching as the side of Arthur's mouth twitched,almost like a snarl.

"And what gives you that right?" Arthur responded,delivering a shove that made Laurence stumble backwards.

Laurence stood back a bit to examine Arthur's face as he spoke."When Merlin accepts." He then held up his sword and gave a swift slice through the air,which would surely have hit the prince for if Arthur wasn't quick to react and held up his shield,before pushing the shield against Laurence's torso and tripping the knight up as he stumbled back. Arthur then quickly pointed his sword against Laurence's neck when the knight was down,his eyes unyielding as he stared down at the lowly knight,no words spoken. Silence is the strongest hate.

And so the Pendragon emblem was moved up and Arthur,once again,declared the winner of the tournament.

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><p>After the tournament had ended and the stadium emptied,Merlin was ridding Arthur of his armour when somebody was calling his name outside the tent. Merlin stopped undressing Arthur and looked over at the exit of the tent,seeing Laurence walking across the centre of the stadium and searching for the young warlock.<p>

"Ignore him,Merlin." Arthur stated.

"But-"

"_Ignore him." _Arthur said again,and Merlin complied. Laurence left a while later just as Merlin had finished removing Arthur's armour.

The silence that followed after was the most awkward of both male's friendship. They had never had a silence between them this long,and neither knew how to react as Merlin busied himself with collecting the armour,and Arthur looking out at the stadium,trying to occupy his thoughts.

"Merlin." Arthur finally said,and Merlin looked up expectantly. Arthur stared at him,before shaking his head."Nevermind." He said,walking out of the tent and leaving Merlin to his self.

Merlin followed the prince out the tent,either way,watching as Arthur kicked up some of the dirt from the ground. Retreating back in the tent,Merlin decided to watch what Arthur was up to,since the blonde male seemed to be intent on doing something,since he hadn't left the actual stadium yet.

Arthur walked slowly up to the leaderboard,staring up at it for a moment before reaching up and taking Laurence's emblem and holding it in his hands. What Arthur did next made Merlin freeze.

The prince gripped the emblem before lifting it in the air and smashing it against the side of the stand where the crowd stood only moments ago. Merlin watched as Arthur's right hand curled into a fist,his whole body tensing as he stared down at the shattered pieces of the emblem,the dragon now cut in half and the staff shattered. Merlin didn't understand why Arthur did that,but the prince seemed to as he kicked dirt over the shattered pieces,before walking out of the stadium.

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><p><strong>Lady Morgana will be in the next chapter.<strong>


	4. Red Dahlia

**Things will all make sense in the end,dear readers.**

**I feel cruel doing a twist,since all your reviews are mentioning that Merlin wouldn't leave Arthur. But,I did mention that Morgana would be having a terrible dream...**

**...also,the dragon's little riddle plays a part as well which arrives in further chapters,so I hope my dear readers have kept that in mind.**

**Anyway,just read it. I hope the twist isn't _too _cruel.**

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><p><em> A red flower...a rose,or a dahlia. The flower was shown,being held gently between two fingers - to whom those fingers belonged to was not certain,but the flower was passed over to another person. This person was recognized from the grimy fingernails of hard labour being set by the prince. Merlin.<em>

_Colours everywhere: orange,black,red and yellow. But,these were not flames. They were the colours of emblems,yet they were unclear: a blur of colours mixed,until suddenly the colour faded and went black._

_One word was spoken amongst the colours: '**yes**'_

_Sobbing - there was quiet sobbing in the distance,then it stopped and was replaced with a frustrated shout._

_Merlin lay on the ground,his eyes closed and the flower gripped in his hand. Yet,he was not sleeping. No breath passed his slightly open mouth._

_The flower; something was happening to the flower in the male's hand. It was wilting,turning a placid grey and losing it's once vibrant petals. The flower curled up and crumbled in Merlin's open palm,yet the male did not stir to see such change._

Morgana awoke with a start after the flower crumbled in her dream,her eyes widening briefly. The dream left her feeling solemn,and she had to walk around her chambers after falling asleep in her chair near the window.

Her body shook slightly as she lent against the wall,the dream effecting her worse than any other she had. It was so sorrowful,and unforgiving that she could feel tears lining her eyes.

Something bad was about to happen,and it was to do with Merlin. Morgana had known Merlin for just as long as Arthur had,yet she was quick to befriend the young warlock and help him,much to the disappointment of Uther and other royals,who thought a lady like herself shouldn't be mingling with a mere manservant.

Morgana wiped the tears from her eyes and made it out of her chambers,down the hallway and towards Arthur's chambers. She had to tell him her dream,as she knew that the two male's had a friendship as strong as metal and Arthur would surely pay mind to her dreadful dream that had shaken her so.

But,as she made it across the hallways,she spotted Merlin walking towards the courtyard with a bundle of hay in his hands,making it towards the stables to tend to Arthur's horses.

"Oh,Merlin!" Morgana called out,but Merlin didn't seem to hear her as he carried on with what he was doing. She followed after him,holding up her blue dress as she tread carefully whilst walking amongst the stables. Two horses were in the stable this evening,since the others were being used for hunting later today,which Arthur would be leading alongside Merlin.

Morgana found Merlin again,placing down the hay near one of the pens and collecting some of it to spread across the horses's eating bay. The horse poked it's head out from the pen and instantly worked on the hay,nearly biting Merlin's hand in the process."Hey!" Merlin said,laughing afterwards before stroking the horses's long face.

"Merl-" Morgana was about to call out when she saw another person enter the stables. It was one of the contestants from yesterday,which she thought odd: all the contestants had traveled back home,since they needn't be in Camelot anymore. Morgana had only briefly seen this knight,but hadn't spoken to him and so didn't know his name,or where he was from.

Morgana watched as they talked. Merlin continued to work as he spoke to the knight,but stopped when he was told something. Morgana couldn't hear them too well from the place she was standing,but her heart stopped when the knight withdrew a red dahlia from behind his back and shown it to Merlin.

She needed to find Arthur - and fast.

Morgana didn't know whether Merlin accepted the dahlia or not as she rushed out of the stables,back towards Arthur's chambers. It seemed like miles before she reached his door and she had to catch her breath.

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><p>Merlin was busy feeding the horses hay,stroking the horses's every now and again as they chewed on the straw. This was the only part he enjoyed,as he didn't have to clean out the pens,but feed the horses instead. It wasn't a difficult job,it was just the carrying of the hay that took a while since hay was quite heavy after a while.<p>

Merlin hummed as he worked,even though the hay was starting to make his hands itch everytime he shredded the straw and spread it in the horses's feeding bay. But,soon,he got the rhythm of it and was nearly finished when he heard somebody behind him.

He was surprised to see Laurence walking up to him with a soft smile."Laurence?" Merlin asked as he sorted out some of the horses's hay.

Laurence stopped near Merlin,his hands behind his back."I think you know why I've come to find you,Merlin." He spoke,and Merlin stopped feeding the horses to look over at the knight.

Merlin didn't reply as he looked over at the horse in the pen he was stood in front of."I know." He said,quietly as he petted the horse on the top of it's head,earning a low whinning noise from it."I've thought it over,but I have to refus-" Turning around,Merlin's sentence was cut short when he noticed that a red dahlia was being presented. Merlin looked down at the flower,before at Laurence's face.

"Well," Laurence spoke."You've spoken,but I'd appreciate it if you accept this flower." He explained,"It would make me happy if you did." He added,feigning sadness as he looked at the young warlock.

Merlin felt a tad guilty as he noticed the sad expression on the knight's face,but he knew that a person should accept any gift graciously,no matter what it was. It was only polite,after all. Merlin reached out and took the dahlia.

"Are you sure I can't change your mind,Merlin?" Laurence spoke softly,his hand holding Merlin's gently for a moment,before releasing the male's hand as the dahlia was passed over.

Two things happened at once: the first was the horse behind Merlin let out a great whine,lifting up on it's hind legs as it seemed troubled by something unseen,it's eyes flaring up with panic as it let out a neigh. The second was Merlin felt something stir inside him until it suddenly kicked at his lungs and made him gasp,like waking up from a dream where a person is falling and the suddeness awakes them with shock.

Merlin's head was pounding as he stared at Laurence,who was apparantly talking as his mouth was forming words,yet Merlin couldn't hear them. The dahlia in Merlin's hand seemed to grow more vibrant with colour,and a small warmth spread across the young warlock's hand from the stem of the flower he was gripping.

When Merlin came to,he could hear Laurence clearly now."Merlin?" He asked,reaching out to hold Merlin's shoulders as his face was written with worry.

"Yes." Merlin whispered,looking up at the knight once his head had cleared. Everything seemed to be running normal and the horse behind him had eventually quietened down. He stared up at Laurence with a smile.

Laurence frowned lightly,"Yes what,Merlin?" He asked,but if anyone was to look on,they would be able to see the slight smirk on the knight's face as he asked the question.

Merlin only laughed and gripped the knight's arms back as he spoke again."Yes,I'll be your manservant." He sounded excited as he couldn't help but smile. He didn't know why he hadn't accepted sooner - he would be able to use magic in this new kingdom,and he was foolish enough to think it over.

The dahlia in Merlin's had lost one of it's petals after Merlin spoke,the red petal floating down to the ground of the stable.

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><p>Morgana was about to burst into Arthur's chambers when her name was called out."Ah,Morgana!" Morgana growled under her breath and turned to see Uther walking towards her."I was looking for you everywhere." He explained.<p>

"Were you?" Morgana asked,hoping that Uther had little to say. She needed to speak to Arthur,and her heart was hammering as the time ticked by.

Uther finally reached her,placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and started to guide her away from Arthur's chambers,but the lady refused and stood back a little."Morgana?" Uther asked,frowning lightly."I need to talk to you about-"

"Please,we must talk later." Morgana interrupted."I need to speak with Arthur,and it's urgent." She explained.

"I beg your pardon,Morgana?" Uther spoke,shock clear as day across his hagged face. He was about to say something else when he started to cough - and it wasn't a slight cough,but a deep,almighty one that made Morgana forget about speaking to Arthur and found great concern for Uther as he continued to cough.

"Are you ill?" Morgana asked as she patted the king on his back,trying to stop the coughing but Uther didn't stop coughing until a long while later,where he was on the brink of tears from the force of the painful coughs that sent a sharp pain in his ribs.

"I'm fine." Uther replied,although his breathing was rugged. Morgana could tell he was having difficulty breathing,and she decided to send him to Gaius for examination."Please,sire,we need to get you to Gaius." She explained,but Uther dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand.

"I'm _fine_,Morgana." Uther replied,but his comment failed as he started coughing again.

Morgana had no choice but to guide the king towards Gaius's quarters,evidently forgetting to tell Arthur about her dream as her concern over-ruled her panic. As they left,Morgana thought she heard a loud whinning from a horse,but quickly ignored it.

Hearing commotion outside,Arthur opened up his door to look,just as Morgana had left with his father. Even though there was nothing to see,Arthur left his chambers to find the other knights that were accompanying him on the hunting trip later this evening. They were to hunt in the forest lining Camelot,heading East as there was a greater population of animals in that area. The horses for the hunting trip were already saddled and stood near the gates,ready to be taken out.

The knights that Arthur had chosen were stood near the horses,laughing about something and sharing banter as they held the reins of the horses. When Arthur approached,they stopped laughing and greeted him with a small bow and a quick 'sire'.

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur asked. Merlin was meant to be joining with the hunting party,to carry the prince's equipment and use a sharp eye to spot animals that the knights usually never spotted. Arthur always took Merlin with him,since he could never have a general conversation with the knights. They weren't relaxed around him,and to Arthur,it was like talking to puppets that acted on your command. Whereas,the prince found with Merlin, the conversation was casual and they even shared a few laughs here and there as they camped out in the night,ready for hunting the next day.

The knights all shrugged,annoying the prince as he scanned the village from where he was stood,hoping to spot the male. He was always dawdling around somewhere. When he couldn't find him,Arthur decided to go search for him,instead of sending a useless messenger: they never seemed to do their job properly,and Arthur always found himself doing the job in the end.

Merlin was long gone when Arthur came round to the stables,with Laurence nowhere in sight. Arthur searched the stables,but his manservant was nowhere to be seen.

Arthur was about to leave when he noticed something red on the floor of the stables,drawing his attention. For a moment,he thought it was blood and he had to feverishly walk up to it in hopes that it wasn't. But,it was a petal. A measly petal.

Picking the petal up,Arthur examined it. There were no flowers near the stables for a while around,so he concluded that somebody must have brought it in when dealing with flowers,accidentally dropping a petal.

Yet,that idea seemed absurd."Why would there only be _one _petal? Surely,there would have been more dropped." Arthur said. He was going to drop the petal and leave it where he was,when he noticed that the petal was changing colour,from red to pallid grey. "Hm.." Arthur hummed,intrigued,then watched as the petal crumbled and turn to a small pile of ash. This,Arthur thought,wasn't the normal reaction of a petal,surely. It would take a while for a petal to wilt and rot,yet the petal simply..died in a second.

Arthur released the ash as his mind turned to the thought of magic. Somebody was using magic. Looking about the stables,thinking somebody was with him,he frowned. He couldn't just dismiss this act of magic,but he had a hunting trip to commence and a certain manservant to find.

Walking of the stables,Arthur made his way through the castle to get near the gates quicker,but when he heard laughter,he had to stop. That laugh had always been etched in his mind,and heart.

It was Merlin,and somewhere nearby by the sounds of it. Arthur rolled his eyes,"Doesn't he know he has a hunting trip to attend to?" He muttered,following the sound of Merlin laughing.

His stride stopped when he heard another laugh,nothing like Merlin's. It was more deep,and short-lived. Arthur shook his head,knowing full well who Merlin was with."Laurence.." Arthur muttered as he made it towards the place where the two were. He ended up in the gardens,where he had previously seen them talking.

Laurence was sat too close for comfort near Merlin for Arthur's liking,and - whatever they were talking about - he didn't care as he sauntered over,grabbed Merlin's forearm and started to drag him away,ignoring the comments from the knight.

Merlin seemed cheerful,which only made Arthur angrier at the thought of Laurence making him be that way.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked,alarmed as he was dragged away from a pleasant conversation."What are you doing?" He asked,looking back over his shoulder to see Laurence looking back at him."I'll see you later!" Merlin called out.

"Come along,Merlin." Arthur said,pulling Merlin all the way back to the gates where the knights instantly stood to attention,worriedly looking at the young warlock. They daren't say anything as they checked their saddles and mounted their horses as they waited for their prince to sort everything out.

Arthur waited until Merlin was on one of the horses,before he got on his own horse."Let's go." Arthur said,before pulling at his reins and guiding his horse into a run out of the gates,followed by the other knights and then Merlin.

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><p>Lady Morgana had brought Uther to Gaius's quarters where the old man instantly sat the king down and asked what had happened. Morgana explained how Uther had been coughing badly moments before,and was mentioning of a pain in his chest.<p>

Gaius nodded."Right,I see." He said,before placing two fingers on the king's wrist to check his pulse. The pulse had sped up,even though Morgana walked slowly to Gaius."And this has just started,sire?" He asked.

Uther briefly looked at Morgana before shaking his head."No." He began,seeing the saddened look on Morgana's face."I've had this dreaded coughing for a while now,but the pain in my chest is new." He explained,and both Gaius and Morgana could hear how wheezy his voice was,and how long the gaps were inbetween the king's words. It wasn't pleasing,so Gaius gave the remainder of the day trying to find out what was wrong with Uther.

Morgana had forgotten entirely about her dream,until Gaius produced some sort of herb from a drawer. This sparked off her memory,even if it was a herb,it still reminded her about the flower in her dream. She stood up from the chair she was sitting on.

"What's the matter,my dear?" Gaius asked,noticing the panic look in the lady's eyes.

"Has Arthur left for the hunting trip yet?" Morgana asked. She knew that Merlin must have accepted the flower,since it was quite a while ago when she seen him with the knight.

"Yes." Uther replied,instead."He should have left a while ago with three other knights,and his manservant. Why do you ask,Morgana?" He questioned,until Gaius told him not to speak as much so that he could get an accurate reading on the test he was doing.

Morgana muttered,'_Oh God..' _under her breath. Gaius looked at her with a small frown."Why,what has Merlin done this time?" He asked,making Morgana smile briefly. Merlin was always getting into trouble,and she found it humorous that,at the mention of Arthur,Gaius instantly thought that Merlin had done wrong.

"Nothing,Gaius." Morgana said,quietly. She wouldn't be able to catch up with them,even if she would have to tell Arthur when he got back,since Merlin would be with him. She,however,didn't know the exact moments when the second half of her dream would set: the moment where Merlin was lying on the ground.

* * *

><p>The hunting party had arrived in the middle of the forest: Arthur with Merlin besides him in front,and the three knights behind them for a second opinion whether Arthur or Merlin should spot an animal.<p>

They had spotted a few animals along the way,stopped to kill them,but the animals out-smarted them and would run off quickly,leaving all the men frustrated with impatience. The forest had alot of animals running about this time of year,making it perfect for a hunting day.

After a while,Arthur noticed how happy Merlin looked."What are you smiling at,Merlin?" Arthur asked, deliberately bringing them both further away from the knights behind them,so he would be able to have a conversation with Merlin without them over-hearing.

Merlin shrugged."I just am." He replied,but that didn't do it for Arthur and he let out a long sigh.

"You do frustrate me sometimes,Merlin." Arthur commented,staring ahead as they both trotted along through the forest lining,a speed that wasn't recommended for hunting. But,Arthur didn't care as he had matters to settle with his manservant.

"And you too,Arthur." Merlin replied,laughing as he took his prince's comment as a joke.

They trotted on for a while longer,silence like lead between them as they searched through the lining of the trees to spot any animal. Merlin spotted a deer,and alerted everyone.

They all stopped their horses and dismounted,instantly getting the crossbows out to aim at the deer. Arthur was to aim first,then Merlin if he missed,then the knights.

The deer bent it's head down to eat some grass,unaware of the sudden attention to it's right. It didn't notice how quiet the forest had become,which it thought was normal as it moved to a fresh patch of grass. A whistling noise split through the air,and the deer had no time to react as it was hit by an arrow in it's side,making it panic and try to run,but a second arrow hit it.

"Well done,men." Arthur said as he watched the deer collapse."Collect it." He ordered to one of the knights. The deer was soon tied down across one of the knight's horses,and they all went on their way.

Over six hours had gone by and the hunting party had only scarce animals. Arthur noticed that his men were getting annoyed and restless,so he decided upon camping out for the night,then progressing at first light towards East. The knights agreed thoroughly and began to set up camp.

Soon,tents had been set up and the horses tied around the trees,with the equipment set inside the tents in case any stranger should steal them whilst they were asleep.

Merlin was collecting dry sticks to create a fire,only going so far as the lining of the trees where they'd set up camp,since he didn't want to stray too far and get lost. He got the fire going easily and the knights all huddled around it,since the night was drawing cold and the warmth of the fire relaxed the hunting party,resting their aching limbs from riding their horses hours on end. The knights had all taken off their armour,but Arthur remained with his on: it was better safe than sorry in the dead of night.

Arthur made to sit down on a trunk when he noticed that Merlin's back was towards him,standing near the edge of the trees and completely ignoring the warmth of the fire.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked,walking over to him when he knew the other knights were too busy talking to notice them. He stood near his manservant and noticed that he was holding some sort of red flower in his hands,staring down at it."Where ever did you get that flower from?" Arthur asked,noticing the colour of the flower,reminding him of the petal he found in the stables - but he dismissed that.

Merlin finally looked up at his prince."Laurence gave it to me." He answered,not knowing the effect it had on Arthur at the mention of the knight's name.

"Really?" Arthur said."How ridiculous." He commented,noticing the smile playing on Merlin's lips,which he frowned at.

Merlin had seemed different throughout the whole trip,Arthur noticed. His manservant seemed almost absent throughout the travel,and he didn't seem as interested as he usually was on a hunting trip. He didn't even look over at Arthur once.

There was something different and Arthur didn't like it,since he knew Merlin's personality like the back of his hand,and Merlin had definitely portrayed another side of himself. The usual glimmer in Merlin's eyes had snuffed out,replaced with an almost dull colour that Arthur didn't like,either. Although Merlin smiled,Arthur could see there was something going on. There had been no usual banter between the two,which the prince was mostly hoping to achieve.

And then Arthur thought back to the tournament,when Laurence mentioned he'd made an offer on Merlin which the manservant wouldn't be able to refuse."Merlin." Arthur spoke,taking Merlin's arm and guiding him further away from the knights who were too busy laughing to notice,anyway.

"Hm?" Merlin asked,his attention on the flower as he was guided away.

Arthur didn't know how to put his next question,so he watched as Merlin ran a finger across the dahlia. Merlin's expression was that of calm as he examined the dahlia.

"Are you.." Arthur began,his voice lowering,even though they were away from the knights." Are you happy in Camelot?" He asked,his voice casual to reassure his manservant that the truth was needed.

"Sometimes." Merlin replied,looking up at Arthur."But,a change is always nice." He added,smiling lightly.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked,watching as the flames from the fire flickered across Merlin's eyes,highlighting the dull colour that seemed permanent. Arthur had never seen Merlin's eyes like this.

Merlin seemed hesitant as he looked down at the dahlia again."Laurence offered to make me a manservant in the kingdom he lives in." Merlin didn't mention the fact that Laurence was the prince there."And I accepted,because a change is always nice." He explained.

Merlin looked up again,failing to notice how one of the petals on the dahlia had fallen,floating to the ground near the young warlock's feet. The dahlia had only six petals left on it,with two gaps showing.

Arthur stared at Merlin with an unbelieving expression,his mind refusing to take in what his manservant just said. Instead,Arthur remained with a bored expression after he looked away from Merlin."Well,then." He began,his voice quiet as he stared out amongst the trees where the moonlight streamed silver through the gaps."..I hope you find it better." He added,refusing to meet Merlin's eyes as he turned away and walked back to the camp fire.

Another petal fell from the dahlia,leaving a further gap in the flower. Five petals remained,though the young warlock took no notice as he walked over to the camp fire and sat down himself.

The fire eventually died down and the three knights went off to sleep,along with Merlin who hadn't spoken since to his prince.

Arthur remained outside,his gaze intent on watching the fire dying down,leaving slight coloured embers amongst the wood as it finally snuffed out,the grey smoke rising up into the cold night sky. He sat with his elbows on his knees,and his hands clapsed together,pressed under his chin as he continued to stare at the now-dead fire.

It was a while before Arthur stood up and made his way over to where he and Merlin talked before-hand. The petals from the dahlia were still there and Arthur picked them up carefully,lifting them up to see them in the moonlight.

_'No..' _Arthur thought. '_Merlin simply wished to leave. Magic has no use.' _He theorized as he placed the petals in the pocket of his pants. Arthur sighed - he suddenly felt sad all of a sudden,yet his cool demeanor took over and his mask was placed firm with a bored expression.

"It's Merlin's decision." Arthur spoke."..I don't need him anyway." He added with difficulty. His heart was telling him that it wasn't true,but his demeanor told him otherwise,saying that he could get another manservant.

The night drew colder as Arthur went to sleep.

* * *

><p>The scene played out before the eyes of a figure that stood over a stand of water,her hands sweeping over the pure water as she focused on Arthur's thoughts. She could tell that the prince had a heavy heart,but his usual mask hid those feelings. She knew how his mask had slipped during the past couple of days - disappearing his normal bored and uncaring attitude,to be replaced with a jealous and love-stricken mind. This was where she wanted him: in a weak state,where he was unable to decide. How she found it interesting the way love could turn a strong man weak.<p>

Her plan was working.

"And so it begins,Merlin." She whispered,smirking. The plan to rid of the young warlock was running smoothly,and the plan to leave the prince in an unsound mind and beaten heart availed.

_Yes - and the fool had no idea what was happening._

"Merlin has accepted the flower as you wanted." A male voice behind her spoke."The spell has worked. He has accepted my offer,and I will be bringing him to you tomorrow morn,Nimueh."

"Thank you,Laurence." Nimueh spoke,the smirk growing colder as she heard the news she wanted."The poor prince thinks his manservant no longer wishes to be around him,and has found better interest - love,maybe." Nimueh mocked,laughing afterwards."And so the prince see's no danger in letting his little love-focus go."


	5. Manticore

** Apologies for the late update - work has tired me out.**

**But,anyways,here's chapter 5!**

**Also,thank you to those author's who PM'd me about somebody - I'll be sure to bare that in mind.**

* * *

><p>"Sire." Morgana began as she stood in the throne room,Uther sat on the throne looking out of the window."It will do you no good if you remain here." She commented,noticing the pale complexion of the king as the sunlight streamed across his face.<p>

Uther looked over at her."Morgana,I am simply awaiting my sons return." He replied,frowning at her as he laid his gaze on the window again,staring out at the gates.

Morgana didn't deem it suitable to argue with Uther,so she simply stood besides the throne,looking out of the window also. It was such a beautiful day - yet Morgana had sadness in her heart as the time went by. The more time that went by,the more she began thinking about the terrible dream she experienced. Would Arthur come home with no Merlin by his side? She hoped that it wouldn't be true.

Her thoughts turned to the knight that passed the red dahlia,and a question arose in her mind. She needed to learn more of this knight,and why he stuck around after the tournament."May I inquire about a knight from the tournament yesterday?" She asked.

"Yes,what do you need to know,my dear?" Uther said,yet his eyes remained on the gates.

"There was a knight with an emblem of a black dragon,wound around some sort of staff." Morgana explained.

"Ah,yes." Uther replied,nodding his head twice."Sir Laurence Carlisle. What do you inquire about him?"

"Where does he travel from?" Morgana asked,her hands behind her back as the image of the dahlia played in her mind.

"A place West of here. Paravel,I think." Uther replied,finally looking up at Morgana."Why do you ask?" He questioned,noting the frown lining the lady's face.

Morgana shook her head."That can't be right." She replied. The king sat up in his throne as he listened to her further explanation."There is no such place West of Camelot by that name,sire. West of here is Yellowstone." She explained.

"Yellowstone?" Uther replied."Are you sure,Morgana? I do not approve of liars in my kingdom." He said.

Morgana nodded."I am certain. Yellowstone is West of Camelot,then after that is Caire." She furthered,dread creeping along her skin as this knight was looking more suspicious by the minute. First the dahlia,now this lie. A knight wouldn't dare lie after being invited graciously into another kingdom.

"As much as he had lied,there is nothing I can do." Uther said,shaking his head and looking back over at the gates."The knights all left yesterday,and Laurence would have left,also." If only he knew how wrong he was,but Morgana didn't correct him as she exited the throne room,much to Uther's confusement.

* * *

><p>Merlin was awake at first light before the others,who were all still asleep,including the prince. Merlin had already packed some things and was saddling up his horse again,doing everything before anyone woke up. The sun was creeping along the horizon as he took the reins of his horse and guided it through the trees,back onto the beaten path where he made to head West to meet up with Laurence. No note was left for the prince to find when he woke a while later after Merlin had left.<p>

As Merlin walked alongside his horse,he began to notice that his footsteps had gained double,minus his horses's hooves. He stopped every now and again to hear the second footsteps stop a little later after his.

Merlin ignored it,blaming it on the quietness messing with his mind. It was probably the horses's hooves after all,and he was being paranoid.

The sun was part way into the blue,cloudless sky when Merlin heard a growl nearby. It was quiet to begin with,then eventually grew louder until the young warlock was convinced that - whatever the growl belonged to - was hiding behind the trees besides him.

Merlin stopped. There was something following him,but it went quiet when he stopped. The wind blew gently,rustling the leaves on the trees above Merlin and eventually cooling his skin as he looked back down the path behind him.

He felt weird. Not because of the growling,but it felt as though what he was doing was wrong - there was a small niggle deep down in his heart,yet he didn't know why it was there. It felt like de ja vu,feeling this small niggle,effecting his feelings. But,he convinced himself that it was due to traveling alone that his heart was feeling strange,not to mention his mind.

Merlin carried on walking until he heard more growling,and a figure stream past him to the right. Now he'd _definitely _hadn't been imagining that,so he quickly turned to see what it was.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Laurence on the path,looking at him as though he was a strange speciment."Are you ready to go,Merlin?" He asked,walking up to Merlin and patting him on the back gently.

The niggle in Merlin's heart quickly vanished and he smiled at Laurence."Yeah,let's go." He said,and began the horse into a trot again as he walked alongside the knight - or,recently announced - prince of Paravel.

"I'm guessing you told Arthur you were leaving?" Laurence asked,as he stared at the path ahead,his hands clasped behind his back in a casual manner. If it was as easy for Arthur to hide behind a mask,then so be it for Laurence - he had seen through Nimueh's portal how the prince could hide his true feelings so deep,that it escaped the young warlock's attention.

The next sentence that Merlin said alerted Laurence. "Yeah." Merlin replied."But,I think I should have said goodbye." He added,quietly.

Laurence's jaw tensed as he noticed how Merlin's previous behaviour was coming back. He would have to hurry before the young warlock regained his conscious mind and realized that it was an enchantment that made his decision to leave Arthur. Although,Laurence thought,his realization would be too late once they made it towards Nimueh. "Come along,Merlin." Laurence said,trying to hide his urgency as he pushed the male along."It would be better if we got to Paravel early,so that the day will be used to welcome your arrival,and for me to give you a tour." He explained,hurrying up the walk.

"Alright." Merlin replied,happily."I'd like that." Another petal from the dahlia fell. There was only four petals left,and the flower was losing it's vibrant red.

* * *

><p>"Where the hell is he?" Arthur asked,near shouting at the other knights."Did any of you see him leave?" There were strings of questions,one after the other,giving no space for the knights to answer as their prince flung open Merlin's tent for the third time,as though his manservant would suddenly be there."Why didn't any of you wake up!" He shouted,causing the knights to flinch and apologize,even though the prince had also slept late.<p>

Arthur growled in frustration,running a hand through his hair as he stood and tried to think where his manservant would have gone,when one of his knights spoke up.

"Maybe he went back to the castle?" The knight suggested,looking sheepish with his answer."I mean,he may have gone back to tell your father before-hand that we had all camped out,and were due back today." He said,quietly. It was only a suggestion,but the knight found it silly.

Yet,Arthur believed him,since it was the only theory that could possibly be correct. Arthur knew Merlin would do such a thing,since he was forever the one who had to explain things,and look after the blonde in situations with Uther.

Arthur still didn't like the fact that Merlin had heeded no warning,especially when he told of accepting the knight's offer."Forget the rest of the hunting." Arthur announced."We're going back." And all knights sighed a relief,since they didn't want to go through the long hours of hunting again,after failing to catch enough animals yesterday. It wasn't worth the effort.

The journey seemed to take less time as they all headed back to Camelot,though it was due to Arthur's speed on his horse that brought the journey to an end as they entered the gates of his kingdom. He was oddly surprised to see Morgana running towards him,making him stop his horse quickly in fear of trampling over her as she made it over to his horse with such worry in her expression that Arthur almost panicked himself.

"Morgana,what is it?" Arthur asked,dismissing the knights who were listening in on the conversation. The knights trotted elsewhere.

"Where's Merlin?" Morgana asked,desperately,looking behind Arthur but finding no other horse."I thought he was with you!" She commented.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Arthur replied."I presumed he made it back to the castle,to inform father of my over-night stay in the forest. We both know how worried he gets at times." Arthur rolled his eyes.

"You presumed _nothing!" _Morgana shouted,making Arthur draw back slightly in surprise."Merlin is in danger,Arthur." She quickly said."I tried to inform you before,but I was swept away before I could. I had a dream where Merlin accepted a dahlia from a knight - Laurence,I think his name was - and this dahlia..it resulted in Merlin's.." She couldn't get the words out as she started to shake again."Oh,_Arthur._Did you not notice any difference in Merlin during the hunting trip?" She asked."Surely you did. You and Merlin are so close,and surely you would have noticed a change in behaviour."

Arthur's expression gradually dropped as he remembered noticing how Merlin wasn't as jovial in conversation as usual. And the dahlia - he was holding the flower at the camp,and he even mentioned that Laurence gave it to him. Arthur then remembered the petals he collected."Morgana,please,is Gaius around?" He asked,dismounting his horse and already heading towards the physicist.

"Arthur,what are you doing?" Morgana asked,gripping Arthur's arm."We have no time!" She begged."_You _have no time."

The last comment hit Arthur hard when she emphasised himself. She was right: there was no time for him. He had let Merlin slip past his fingers,all because he couldn't grasp his feelings that were quite clearly there. Arthur stopped walking and looked at Morgana,before taking out the petals and showing them her."I need to give these petals to Gaius. I have a theory that they are to do with magic." He explained.

Morgana tensed as Arthur said the word magic.

She didn't tense because she knew the consequences of obtaining magic,but the fact that she knew Merlin had magic within him. Although Merlin never directly told her,she had found out one evening when she spotted him cleaning Arthur's armour without him even touching the metal. She was shocked at first,but she then started to notice how Merlin used magic to save Arthur's life time to time,and she knew that the young warlock only used his magic for good.

Grasping Arthur's arm again,she looked him dead in the eye."Arthur,if these petals a_re _magic,what will you do?" She asked,dreading the answer.

"I'd find whoever was using it," Arthur replied.",and have them executed."

Morgana didn't release Arthur's arm,even though the prince thought that was all she had to say."Arthur." She began."Please,if you see anything,don't take it to heart. Just remember what you have already,and that you shouldn't change your opinion on the basis of previous accusations." She explained.

Arthur looked at her weirdly."Whatever do you mean?" He asked,but Morgana hurried him."Wait,Morgana." Arthur protested."The petals. I need to find out more information about them. If the petals _have _effected Merlin,then.." The prince trailed off,before shaking his head. He then looked over at the knights and shouted at them to get ready."Where would Merlin have headed?" He asked Morgana.

"I..I don't know,Arthur." Morgana replied."He never spoke a word of heading somewhere. All I have is that Laurence has given Merlin a flower which concludes danger." She noticed the distant look on Arthur's face."Arthur,do you know something I don't?" She asked.

"The offer." Arthur muttered."The offer Laurence set on Merlin." He whispered,running a hand through his blonde hair and shaking his head.

"Offer?" Morgana asked,feeling herself useless as she saw the distressed look on the blonde's face. She knew nothing,and that made her feel helpless,as she wanted to help."Arthur,please,what offer?"

Arthur then looked back at his knights."Men,head West,and quickly!" He ordered."Any signs of Merlin,you must report back. Do not stop for rest until you bring back Merlin,or valuable news!" He explained,and the knights instantly ran out of the gates on their horses.

Morgana shook her head."West? Are you referring to Paravel?" She asked,dreading the answer as they made it towards Gaius to give him the dahlia petal.

"Yes. Laurence hails from Paravel." Arthur replied."Do keep up,Morgana. It would make this situation much easier." He added,pressing his lips into a thin line at the ignorance of Morgana as he entered Gaius's quarters.

"...Arthur." Morgana said,quietly as she swallowed a lump in her throat,her hands wringing together as she avoided eye contact with the prince. Arthur noticed and raised an eyebrow.

"What,Morgana?" Arthur asked."Gaius!" He called out."We need your consultation immediately!" He added,just as the old man came out of a room,waving his hand to dismiss the shouting.

Morgana drew in a deep breath."Arthur." She began again,waiting until the blonde looked at her again. She said the next sentence slowly."There is _no _Paravel west of here...there is only Yellowstone."

"What is it,sire?" Gaius asked,having not noticed how Arthur was now taking slow steps backwards until his back found the back of a wooden chair behind him,his hand reaching out to grasp the top to steady himself.

"Gaius." Arthur spoke,the information still sinking in as he withdrew the petals."Could you run some quick tests on these petals? I fear they may handle magic." He explained,never taking his eyes off Morgana as his voice was calm.

"Oh,Arthur." Morgana said,softly,knowing full well that the blonde was hiding his shock."It's alright." She added,reaching out to place a gentle hand on Arthur's shoulder."Your knights _will _find Merlin,I promise you." She reassured,but Arthur simply paid his attention to Gaius,promptly ridding Morgana's hand off his shoulder.

"Find Merlin?" Gaius asked,frowning as he took the petals."Why,Merlin was only here a couple of days ago." He explained.

"No,Gaius." Morgana replied."Merlin has only just gone. Did he not confide in you about-"

"About an offer." Arthur interrupted."That was given to him by a knight,to live in his kingdom." He provided,and Gaius shook his head.

"Merlin told me of no offer." Gaius replied."The boy usually tells me everything!" He exclaimed.

Arthur then explained that Merlin had been spending alot of time with Laurence,and that Merlin explained that he'd accepted the offer when they were out hunting yesterday night. Yet,Arthur also said,that Merlin was acting out of the ordinary and not much like the manservant he had come to know. He also explained how Merlin's eyes seemed to dull and that his manservant carried around the red dahlia,as though it was a prized possession. Morgana listened with intent.

After that,Gaius was urged to find whether the petals contained magic. It only took a few minutes,since Morgana and Arthur desperately urged him,rushing him. Thankfully,the old physicist was used to being under pressure and had completed the test,bearing the bad news.

Gaius sighed."It does contain magic,sire." He informed."Very powerful magic that can turn anyone's mind."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"This flower has the ability to deceive somebody into saying something other than they intended." Gaius explained,collecting a book and opening it up to a red dahlia."The red dahlia is a flower that associates with happiness,love." He added."With the enchantment on top,Merlin would be experiencing an almost willingness under the person's control. Whatever Merlin has said to you,Arthur,since he was given the flower,is not to be taken. He was made to say those things by Laurence." He explained.

"So,Merlin's decision to leave was not his own?" Arthur added,trying to sound calm and sharp. Yet,Morgana who was stood behind him was not deceived as she could hear the relief in the blonde's tone,along with the fact that Arthur let out a tiny sigh that was undetected by Gaius,but not by her.

"That is right." Gaius replied."However.." He trailed off,his features sagging as he closed the book he read from,his face looking more hagged as he looked at Arthur with a sadness."The enchantment has much worse properties."

Arthur's relief vanished."Tell me." He said with urgency."Tell me,Gaius. What is it?"

"I'm afraid,sire." Gaius replied,sighing as he stood up straight."That when the last petal falls on that dahlia,so will Merlin." He explained,hearing the gasp from Morgana.

"Gaius." Morgana began."Is there anything to stop this dreadful magic?" She begged,her eyes flicking over to Arthur's,who was equally as devastated,yet he only gazed down at the floor,his lips thinned into anger as he gripped the chair he was holding.

Arthur muttered something,which only Morgana could hear."_I should have intervened when I knew Laurence was too close to Merlin." _

Morgana did something that shocked both Gaius and Arthur: she burst into tears which a lady would never do. She should compose herself,especially in front of men."I was there when Laurence offered the dahlia." She admitted."I should have ran out and stopped it. I was too cowardly to do it,so instead,I ran to you,Arthur. I could not do anything but tell." She explained,her chest heaving as she shook her head."I'm so sorry."

"My dear," Gaius said,placing an arm around her and allowing the lady to cry against his robes."It was inevitable. The dahlia enchantment has too strong an effect,and Merlin would have accepted it,whether or not you intervened. Merlin is a sensible boy,and is gracious when accepting gifts. I am not saying it is his foolishness that has caused his death,but I tell you,it was inevitable." He explained,this helping Morgana's sobs a little more.

The door to Gaius quarters opened suddenly and in stepped a knight,which Arthur recognized as one of the search parties."Sire." The knight began."We had to draw back." He flinched when Arthur growled and stepped towards him."Please,sire." The knight quickly said."We had to draw back since we were attacked."

"A true knight would carry on,no matter the injuries." Arthur replied,frowning."What,may I ask,injures have prevented you to carry on searching,by orders of the prince?"

"There was no injury,sire." The knight whispered,taking a step back as though Arthur was about to lunge."There is death. One of the knights were killed by an unknown thing..a creature." He explained."We have brought the knight back for examination." The knight looked over at Gaius,and Gaius nodded.

"This is ridiculous." Arthur seethed,until Morgana placed her hand on his arm.

"Calm,Arthur." Morgana spoke,just as the door opened again and three knights came in: two walking,and holding the middle one up. Morgana hadn't noticed that horrific state of the knight yet,so Arthur turned her around to save her innocent eyes.

"Put him on the bed,and cover him with the sheets." Gaius instructed and the two knights did so. When the deceased knight was covered,Gaius looked at Morgana."Please,my dear,it would be a horrific sight for a lady. If you could step outside." Morgana nodded. Arthur went over to the deceased knight."Time to have a look." Gaius said as he slowly lifted to sheet.

Arthur recoiled back at the smell. The knight had his armour shredded and most of his neck bitten off."What has done this?" Arthur asked.

"It looks like some sort of creature with enough sharp fangs and claws." Gaius theoried,looking closer at the bite in the neck. He hadn't noticed it before,but there was thin spines sticking out from the knight's neck,like tiny needles but of a brown colour. He drew back and covered the knight."It looks like the doing of a Manticore.A very dangerous creature that eats humans. The knight was..lucky,in a sense,to have not been eaten wholly."

But as Gaius looked up,Arthur had already left the room.

Morgana entered later on."Gaius." She said,walking over to him in a hurry."Have you-" before she could finished her sentence,Gaius had pushed a small pouch into her hand,along with a bottle with cold liquid in it."What is this?" She asked.

Gaius lowered his voice."Morgana,you know that Merlin has..qualities." Morgana nodded,knowing he was referring to the magic. He didn't wish to mention it since the other knights were still in the room."The pouch contains an aid of magic,for those who are beginning. I trust that you are able to handle magic. Don't be worried,my dear. Magic is quite easy. If in danger,use the powder inside and throw it towards the target." He explained and Morgana nodded."But,remember to use these words,'_acquiro thy poena' _whilst doing the magic."

"And the bottle?" Morgana asked.

"The reversal." Gaius replied."One drop on the dahlia will restore it's original form,then one drop on Merlin's lips to restore his life that the dahlia took from him. Hopefully it will work." He explained.

"Hopefully?" Morgana asked."Are you saying that it is not certain it shall work?" She added,looking more upset by the minute.

"My dear lady." Gaius replied."It was only a minor mistake in my words. An old man like myself tends to muddle his words up." He reassured,and the lady believed him as she made for the door. But,she turned back around.

"How did you know that I would ask for the cure?" Morgana asked.

Gaius only smiled."Well,you had the sense to realize through the haze. Arthur,on the other hand,didn't think." He then pressed a finger to his lips."But,don't let him know I said that." Morgana smiled and raced after Arthur.

* * *

><p>Nimueh watched from her water,her hands gripping the side of the stone bath as she watched the scene.<p>

"You were not careful enough!" She shouted as she changed to see Merlin and Laurence walking near to where she was situation in the mountains."You let the petals be discovered,you useless idiot!" She added,closing her eyes afterwards as she tuned into Laurence's thoughts; she had a plan.

Laurence could sense that Nimueh was trying to interact with him,yet he couldn't do anything as Merlin was still by his side.

"How far is your kingdom?" Merlin asked as he could feel himself becoming somewhat drowzy and disorientated,although the weather was fair and a cool breeze rushed down the mountains over the two travelers. He was starting to feel weak and had to ride the horse for half of the journey after a while.

"Not far,Merlin." Laurence replied,placing a hand on the back of Merlin and guiding him along. They soon came to an incline where rocks formed along the hill,with a slightly high drop below. It would injure if a person fell,but it may not necessarily kill them - if they were lucky."Wait here,Merlin." He said,stopping the young warlock."I shall make sure the incline is safe,so that your horse may be able to climb down it,alongside you." He explained.

Merlin didn't - _couldn't _- argue as he nodded. He was too dizzy to answer as he went over to sit down on a boulder,hanging his head to get rid of the dizziness he was experiencing. His breathing was becoming difficult.

Laurence quickly made it down the incline and towards a secluded part of the valley below,where he allowed Nimueh to access his thoughts."Yes,mistress?" He spoke.

Nimueh answered with such fury that Laurence flinched."_Arthur has come to rescue Merlin. Get rid of him!" _

"I have Merlin by my sides." Laurence replied.

"_Merlin is too weak to realize that you'll be missing. He'll simply wish to sleep." _Nimueh replied,and Laurence could hear the smirk she had in her voice.

Laurence smirked also,his eyes turning a red and orange hue."You're right as always,mistress." He replied,his features changing.

His fingernails had turned into claws and his canines had extended fully as he fell to his knees,his whole body forming into a creature that was slender. His body was that of a lion,yet patterned with brown shades and long fur that was smoothed down. His tail consisted of large spines,much like a hedgehogs only longer and sharper. His face resembled the features of a man,yet lynx with slanty,orange eyes and great,sharp teeth that hung like a saber-toothed tiger.

"_Now go,Laurence." _Nimueh spoke once Laurence had fully transformed."_South-East,at once." _She instructed,and - with a growl - Laurence pounced in another direction from Merlin,back up the incline and towards South-East where Arthur was.

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><p>Arthur had already rode out of Camelot by the time Morgana followed after him on her own horse."<em>He doesn't even know where Laurence has taken Merlin." <em>She thought as she entered the forest,where she knew the blonde would have taken,following the trail where he last saw Merlin at the camp.

The sun had drawn higher,but not high enough for it to be noon. Morgana knew that they had only been at Gaius's quarters for around fifteen minutes,but Arthur didn't know that,and Morgana found she was losing hope in finding the blonde due to the speed he made haste at.

However,no sooner than she was about to give up,she spotted the blonde in a clearing. He had dismounted his horse and was expecting his surroundings,his right foot scuffing the ground as he stared at a charred spot in front of him where the fire was at the camp.

"Arthur!" Morgana called out as she gave her horse into a trot towards said male.

"Morgana,what are you doing here?" Arthur asked,looking up as Morgana stopped her horse besides him before dismounting to see what Arthur was so intrigued about.

"I couldn't let you go alone." Morgana replied."And the fact that you were too hasty to realize that you forgot to bring the cure." She added,taking out the small bottle and passing it over to Arthur."Gaius said one drop of the liquid on the dahlia,then a drop on Merlin's lips to restore the flower,and Merlin's life." She explained,seeing the pouch in her cloak,yet she decided not to tell Arthur.

"Are you sure this would work?" Arthur asked,examining the bottle and it's contents against the sunlight. The liquid was clear and Arthur first thought there was nothing in it,until he tipped the bottle and a bubble rose up through the thickness of the liquid.

"Gaius has never failed." Morgana replied."We must make haste now if we're to follow the path that the two have taken." She explained,yet Arthur was reluctant to leave as he stared at the ground."Arthur?" Morgana asked.

"What if the flower has lost all it's petals already?" Arthur asked,his voice low. He then looked up at Morgana,his expression unreadable.

"Oh,don't say that." Morgana replied,shaking her head."If we hurry,we can stop it."

Arthur seemed to come back to reality as he once more looked sharp,before nodding once and mounting his horse. Morgana followed after,and soon they were riding towards the path where Merlin had walked along. They both reckoned that - even though Laurence lied - the two would be somewhere West. Arthur made the suggestion to look out for the horses's hoove prints from the horse that Merlin took,which gave a great deal of help as the hoove prints were visible after a while along the beaten path.

As they were riding along,side by side,searching ahead on the horizon that was a dull blue,Morgana looked over at Arthur with a frown.

"What?" Arthur said,then he heard it. There was the sound of pounding against the path,but it wasn't from the beat of the hooves. It belonged more to an animal of some sorts. Then the growling started.

Morgana looked behind her and gave a cry of surprise at what she saw chasing them closely."Arthur!" She yelled,looking back ahead.

Arthur looked behind him and saw what loosely resembled a lion,but with a face of a lynx. It was pouncing after them,it's tail swishing up and down as it pounced towards the two,growling every so often as it gained speed.

Arthur remembered what Gaius had called this creature before he ran off: a Manticore. This creature must have been what killed the knight."Morgana." Arthur shouted,looking back ahead."We need to gain speed,and hopefully we can lose it if we split up." He suggested,then noticed the distressed look on Morgana's face."It's alright. I'll try and get it to follow me,then you can go look for Merlin." He said.

"Why can't we stick together?" Morgana asked,keeping her hold tight on the reins of her horse,in fear of falling off and falling prey to the terrible creature chasing them.

"One of us needs to find Merlin." Arthur said,before nodding his head as they came to gaps in the trees. Morgana had no choice but to change her direction to the left,whilst Arthur went right. But,before they changed direction,Arthur passed the cure over to Morgana,and ignored the sad look on the lady's face as she realized that the prince was making a sacrifice.

Morgana saw how the Manticore chose to follow Arthur - she felt relieved,yet worried at the same time. She also felt guilty for the reason that Arthur would risk his life for hers..and for Merlin. He knew the consequences of dealing with dark magic,yet he chose to get the job done himself and save Merlin,going head-strong into the face of danger for somebody he cared about.

Morgana knew that Arthur and Merlin were close,and she had no doubt in her mind that they would risk their lives for one another. She often saw Arthur getting angry whenever somebody of royal blood would curse Merlin,and even go as far as insulting him. She found herself watching as Arthur would steal glances at Merlin for no particular reason,and how the manservant would do the same when the prince wasn't looking.

_Oh,how she wished they would come to terms with one another,for she knew their friendship was more._

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><p>Arthur noticed that the Manticore had decided to follow him. He was glad that Morgana was out of the danger,and that she had an equal chance of finding Merlin.<p>

The Manticore sped up,it's claw extending every now and again to try and catch the horses's tail,but it failed. Arthur would speed up again,leaving the creature a few feet further behind.

Arthur would weave through the trees,but the creature would only copy his actions and gain a further lead. The prince remained bold,his hand hovering over his sword in case the creature would jump.

Which it did,at one point. The Manticore gave a large leap and swiped at Arthur's leg,managing to succeed in giving the prince a large,unhealthy gash on his thigh. The blonde yelled out,yet he unseathed his sword and sliced down to try and hit the creature,only ending up having the Manticore grip his sword and losing the prince's balance. Arthur fell off the horse,letting go of his sword as he rolled to compose his posture without hurting himself too much.

Arthur saw his sword slide across the forest floor. He quickly got to his feet - though the gash on his thigh shot pain up his body - before the creature made for him again.

The Manticore stood it's ground,it's body curved,ready to pounce as it stared Arthur out.

"Come on,then." Arthur said,glaring at the creature.

The creature seemed to smirk as it pounced towards the blonde,but Arthur was too quick and dodged towards his sword,picking it up quickly and pointing it towards the Manticore,which was about to pounce again until it saw the sword aimed towards it.

"Not so brave now." Arthur whispered,out of breath as he took a step towards the beast,his sword held firmly. The Manticore waited until Arthur was close enough,before pouncing towards him.

Yet,Arthur was once again fast enough and managed to slash his sword across the creature's right shoulder,causing the beast to cry out - it was almost the cry of a human,which surprised the prince as he watched the Manticore stumble backwards. The movement was near human.

"_...Arthur." _The Manticore seemed to say,but Arthur thought he was imagining things. It wasn't until he saw the creature change before his eyes,into a human form,when he knew that he definitely wasn't imagining things."The future king." The form said.

Arthur nearly dropped his sword when he saw the full form of the human. "Laurence." Arthur said,but his shock quickly turned to anger when he realized that Merlin was with this creature."What have you done with Merlin?" Arthur shouted,drawing his sword back up again.

Laurence chuckled as he stood up straight,his shoulder bleeding and running down his clothes."Nothing..._yet." _He replied,smirking.

Arthur didn't like that smirk,fighting all the imminent urges to stab Laurence through the chest for everything he'd done,and whatever he had done to Merlin."Tell me where he is." Arthur commanded.

Laurence tutted and shook his head."I can't do that,now. My mistress would be very disappointed in me." He replied.

"_Tell me where he is,or you're at your mercy." _Arthur growled,taking a few more steps forward. He wasn't ready for Laurence's next move as the male changed back to the creature,growled,and ran off back into the woods as Arthur lunged forward,hitting nothing but air.

Arthur let out a frustrated shout and quickly got back on his horse,making to follow Laurence closely,but the creature had already fled,leaving the prince with no idea where Laurence went.

The prince,however,found Morgana later on. She bore bad news,having not found Merlin. Arthur told of how Laurence was the Manticore,and that he obtained a slash on his right shoulder.

"What's happened to your leg?" Morgana asked when she noticed the wincing sounds coming from the blonde,shifting every now and again to get comfortable on the horse.

"Laurence clawed me." Arthur replied,seeing the blood traveling down his leg and staining his skin,along with the horses's hair."I'll look at it later. We need to carry on." He added,blocking out the pain.

He blocked the pain out by thinking of Merlin,and how he'd still be alive when he found him. Of how he'd be able to come back to Camelot with his manservant astride his horse,and the same old goofy smile the prince had come to love,spread widely across Merlin's face.

The beaten path took them to a sloping incline - where Merlin and Laurence were last - yet nobody was there when they arrived,but they weren't to know the two were here,either way. Arthur tried looking for a route that the horses could come down,but he found none."We'll have to leave the horses here,and go on foot." He explained,and that's what they did. The horses were tied around the trees and the two carefully made their way down the incline.

They were half-way down when Morgana said: "Look,Arthur!" pointing out down to the valley below.

Arthur looked and saw two figures walking through the valley,towards the bottom of a cliff face where a gaping hole was visible - some sort of cavern,or a pass that ran through the hill. The two figures were Merlin and Laurence. Arthur could see Merlin ontop of his horse,whilst Laurence - who was now a human - was walking besides him,holding the reins. They seemed miles away."Let's go." Arthur said.

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><p><strong>So long. I would have split it into another chapter,but it was all part of one situation - if that makes sense.<strong>


	6. All Seems Lost

**It feels weird when I've finished this chapter on Word,and then I upload it and have to read it from the beginning (proof read it),and see the story progress again,even when I know what's going to happen at the end - pfft.**

**Just thought I'd say that.**

**Here's chapter 6! With the help of Muse - Starlight. Listen to it; you'll realize what I mean.**

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><p>The cavern that Merlin entered was cold,and he was beginning to wonder whether the cavern led out towards Laurence's kingdom,but he was in no focused state of mind to concentrate right now as he held onto the horses's reins for dear life as a sudden dizziness came over him again,forcing him to stop walking.<p>

Laurence looked over at the young warlock,noticing how Merlin was becoming more withered by the moment. The spell was working,yet he feigned concern as he held Merlin by his shoulders."Nearly there,Merlin." He spoke slowly,his hand closing around Merlin's hand which was holding the reins,opening up his closed hand and making him release the reins."We don't need the horse anymore." He said.

Merlin frowned at this."Why not?" He asked,feeling himself being guided further into the cave. He couldn't struggle against Laurence as his body was too weak to even lift a finger,so he was forced to be guided."Laurence,where are we?" He asked. However,as he made to look at Laurence,he noticed that the knight's eyes were no longer a brown,but a red hue that was luminous against the darkness of the cavern. Merlin suddenly felt uncomfortable and he tried to step backwards,but his head pounded and his blood seemed to be slowing down,resulting in him stumbling across his feet,only to be dragged by Laurence through another cavern that opened up to a spacious chasm below. Cold air instantly flew up from the chasm and hit the young warlock's face,waking him up for a moment.

The dahlia he was holding had turned a dark grey with only four petals left - now only three as he was guided across the chasm,one of the petals falling in a downwards spiral into the chasm below. Merlin's heart stopped for a fraction of a second,but the male still felt it and he gasped for air,feeling like somebody had punched him in the gut.

A light up ahead made Merlin cringe as the sudden light stung his dull eyes,but he couldn't lift his arms up long enough to block the light out. The light reminded him when he would wake up on his rickety bed,with the just as rickety shades and the sunlight streaming through straight on his face.

Something clicked in Merlin's mind then. It was the de ja vu again,except it involved Arthur. He had the odd feeling that Arthur was going to be stood ahead,blocking the sunlight from his face as he did when he stood besides his bed.

"Arthur.." Merlin spoke,and gave a yell of surprise when Laurence gripped his arm and dragged him towards the light,which opened up to some sort of abandoned courtyard. Merlin had never been here before - he didn't even know it existed until now,and he wasn't taking a casual stroll at the moment,so he couldn't inspect the place in his own time.

There were arches standing up,all boxed in like a square in the dead centre. In the middle of one of the arches were a set of stone stairs,yet they lead to nowhere but the heavens above,giving a great sheer drop at the very end if anybody should walk it.

In the other arches was emptiness,save for a few piles of rubble and twisted metal which Merlin guessed was part of the doors that once stood in the arches. There were flags of paving on the ground,all grey coloured and cold,with some of them cracked and others maintained. The flags with cracks in them had weeds growing out from inbetween them,resulting in the atmosphere that the place had been abandoned years ago,maybe even decades from the way the stone seemed corroded.

Merlin had no time to take in the structures as he was thrown across the stone stairs by Laurence,hard. The young warlock dropped the flower he was holding to spread out his hands,preventing the brunt of the fall. The flower landed next to Merlin. The breath was knocked out of Merlin,which was bad,since he was already having difficulty breathing. He didn't know why he was feeling like this,but his senses had come back to him,and he now knew that Laurence had lied. There was no kingdom: it was a trap.

Merlin couldn't shout out since he was still trying to get his breath back. All he could do was watch as Laurence walked away,seemingly leaving the young warlock on his own,until he came back a while later with somebody else.

"_Nimueh_." Merlin whispered,recognizing the cold-hearted sorceress as she smirked at him,dismissing Laurence who had now formed into some sort of terrifying creature.

"Did you sort the prince out?" Nimueh asked Laurence,her piercing gaze still on Merlin,who was barely staying awake as he stared back.

Laurence hung his head."No,if I stayed any longer.." He trailed off as he looked at his shoulder,the wound still open and bleeding.

Nimueh's expression contorted into anger."You left him _alive?" _She hissed,making the Manticore sink his head lower."..Nevermind." She added,the smirk coming back into play as she turned her head to look over at the cavern opening."You can get rid of him now,since he is near by." She explained,waving Laurence away.

Laurence glanced at Merlin and grinned,before bounding off back into the cavern to meet the prince.

".._No." _Merlin said,pathetically as he shifted his weight to sit up slightly,watching as Laurence disappeared."_Arthur.." _Merlin whispered,before staring back to Nimueh."What have you done to me?" He asked,his body shaking from the strength of keeping his sitting position.

Nimueh walked towards Merlin,leaning down until she was face to face with the young warlock."Oh,Merlin." She began."Poor,poor,Merlin." She taunted,smirking as she placed a hand on Merlin's right cheek."I didn't think the enchantment would work,but luckily,it did. And now you're going to die before your prince could even see you draw out your last breath." She explained,picking up the now-grey dahlia and pressing it into Merlin's hand,closing his hand around it firmly."You haven't long to live. Once the sun has set to noon,and the petals have fallen..well,let's just say you won't be going home anytime soon." She added,chuckling,before walking away.

As she concluded her sentence,there was the sound of shouting coming from the cavern. Nimueh looked over at shoulder at Merlin and said: "It looks like your prince has arrived,a little too late." With that,another petal from the dahlia fell,leaving only two.

Merlin cried out as a sharp pain shot up his chest,hitting him in the heart. He doubled over as Nimueh walked away from the courtyard,and out of sight. Merlin had never felt so helpless before; Nimueh had really been topping up on her spells in her absence,and now Merlin could do nothing.

He wasn't the most upset about dying. He was more upset about not being able to be around Arthur anymore. It was of no regret - yet of shock - to say that he would miss being bossed around by his prince,and face the endless labour he set. It was all worth it,just to be around him.

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><p>Arthur and Morgana successfully made it down the incline just as Laurence and Merlin entered the cavern. They stumbled a few times,missing some of the rocks as they stepped down,but they made it down to the valley safely and proceeded to quickly make their way across the valley,towards the cliff face where the cavern was.<p>

The sun in the sky was near to the North-West,not yet noon as the two came to the cavern. Arthur unsheathed his sword as he cautiously walked into the cavern,followed by Morgana who took out the pouch secretly that Gaius gave her.

As they strode further into the cavern,there came a horse in view. The horse was stood there,looking slightly lost at the absence of it's owner,who was long gone.

"Merlin's horse." Arthur spoke,dread creeping up his body,sending a shiver through his spine. Merlin wouldn't have abandoned his horse,especially in a cavern where anybody could take it. And the fact that he would never travel a journey without a horse when one is needed.

"Why would he simply leave his horse?" Morgana asked,the same question that was burning in Arthur's mind as he stroked the horses's nose. The horse whined and stamped it's hooves.

Arthur said nothing as he motioned for Morgana to follow him as he walked further into the cavern,which was getting darker by the minute. There was no torch to burden a flame,so Arthur carefully negotiated a route through the darkness.

A sudden blast of cold air woke the two up as they walked across a chasm. Arthur kept his eyes ahead,whilst Morgana looked down and drew in a sharp breath from the height of it. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again and pushing forward,keeping a short gap between her and Arthur.

Arthur stopped abruptly,holding up his hand sharply as he made a hushing noise,his head tilting to the right slightly as listened. There was the sound of light footsteps,yet they weren't human.

"It can't.." Morgana began,but Arthur hushed her again as next came a low growling. Arthur looked over at her,and uttered urgently: "Get back." Just as the Manticore appeared from a brightness up ahead,it's claws extended and fangs bared as it growled once again,aiming for the two.

Morgana moved back as Arthur slashed his sword close to the creature that was Laurence,who in turn dodged the attack and gave way into a weave that left Arthur in a muddle on which way he should slash next.

Laurence pounced into the air just as Arthur moved quickly to the right. Morgana's eyes widened as the great beast was coming her way.

"Morgana,move!" Arthur yelled and the lady did,quickly running to the left and making it to the prince's side,her grip firm on the pouch as she waited for the moment to use it."Morgana," Arthur began as Laurence tried to compose himself,finding his position in the darkness and facing the two again."Have you still got the cure?" He asked,and Morgana quickly nodded,fumbling about for it,but Arthur stopped her."No,don't find it now. I want you to go on,find Merlin and cure him." He explained.

"I can't just leave you to die." Morgana protested.

"Yes,you can." Arthur replied."Go,Morgana." He instructed,before looking at her with a steady expression."_Please." _He softly said,though Morgana could see the desperation in his eyes as Laurence growled once more. She could do nothing but comply as she made for the opening.

Arthur got his sword ready again just as the Manticore lept into the air. The prince was steady as he stared at the beast through the air,yet he began to notice that Laurence wasn't aiming straight for him. Instead,Laurence landed behind him,in front of Morgana,blocking her path. Morgana gasped as she was confronted with the Manticore,taking a few steps back for being too close than she'd like. The red eyes were the most horrific sight.

Laurence growled at her,his fangs bared once again as he lunged for her. Morgana couldn't make it back,for if she did,she would surely end up falling into the chasm below,so she remained put,her arms held up as though it would help to prevent the attack.

Arthur moved quickly,holding his sword up with both his hands on the hilt as he made it to the Manticore,stabbing his sword through the creature's side. The sound that emitted from it was deafening as it was thrown to the side from the force of the stab,landing on ground with a _thud. _

Morgana maneuvered around Laurence - who had changed back to his human form - and made for the cavern opening where Merlin was guided through. She gave one glance to Arthur,who nodded at her,before disappearing.

Arthur walked over to Laurence,who had slumped onto his back to look up at the prince. Arthur stepped in front of him,a displeased expression upon his face as he stared down at the disgrace set before him."Now _you _don't know your place." Arthur spat as Laurence blacked out from the loss of blood.

Arthur usually hated to see another person fall,especially when it was out of war - but he could say that Laurence sourly deserved the pain for putting many people in danger. For killing a knight,scaring a lady,and most of all: for obeying command to an evil sorceress in helping the death of Merlin.

The prince shook his head at the pathetic nature of this creature,before making his way towards the opening. Fear crept up his throat as he feared the scene that could befall him once he was out in the open. He knew that Morgana would have found Merlin first and possibly cured him,but he still felt like it wasn't over yet.

The first thing Arthur picked up on was the brightness of the place,with the sun shining brightly down upon structures made of stone. It blinded him for a moment,but he soon got his vision back when he saw Morgana's blue dress and how she was hunched near a set of stone stairs that broke off at the top. Arthur then realized that the lady was sobbing,her body shaking with each sob she gave.

Arthur felt nauseous suddenly as he made his way towards her."Morgana.." He began,quietly as he drew nearer,noticing the other colour of clothes from somebody underneath her hunched form,lying across the steps.

Morgana looked up,her eyes red from crying. That was when Arthur saw the figure. "Morgana,please." He whispered,staring down at Merlin who lay lifeless under her."Please,tell me different."

The lady shook her head once,solemly as she moved away from the young warlock,turning away from him as she tried to stop her tears. Arthur trudged forward,closer to Merlin who remained still.

The prince crouched down besides Merlin,his hand hovering out in front of his manservant's face,deciding whether to touch his face. But,his fear of finding the skin cold led him to draw his hand back. Hope flared up in him when he remembered the cure."The cure." He quickly said,standing up and walking over to Morgana,holding out his hand."Morgana,the cure." He added,but Morgana shook her head as she withdrew the bottle.

"I did what Gaius told me to do,but.." Morgana said,passing the bottle to Arthur as though it burnt her."Oh,_Arthur_. I tried." She said,before turning away again as tears lined her eyes once more.

Arthur clutched the bottle and closed his eyes as he sighed. He couldn't shout at Morgana: she tried,and she did what was instructed. And shouting wouldn't help bring his manservant back.

Laughter broke through the heavy silence,making both Morgana and Arthur look over to the source quickly. A woman stood there,wearing a pure red dress,looking quite pleased with herself.

"How dare you laugh!" Arthur shouted.

Nimueh only smirked as she made her way over to Merlin,dropping down to sit on the step that Merlin was strewn across. She reached out and ran her fingers through the mop of hair on Merlin's head slowly,shaking her head a few times."How unfortunate." She commented,tutting as she looked up at the two."A young life wasted." She added,uncurling Merlin's hand to take out the dead flower that he held so dearly. The dahlia was pure grey with a small stain where Morgana dropped the liquid on it.

"_Get off him." _Arthur said through gritted teeth as he made his way towards Nimueh,his hand on the hilt of his sword that he withdrew from Laurence's chest before-hand.

Nimueh shook a finger at the prince before standing up."Now,now." She began."No need to be so angry,sire. It does no good to have negative feelings at somebodies time of death." She explained,a hint of amusement in her eyes as she placed her hands by her side.

Morgana watched Nimueh's hands and noticed a fleck of colour spark from them. It was an odd sight and Morgana thought she imagined it,until she remembered the enchantment that was put on the flower."You put the spell on the dahlia." Morgana spoke,now knowing that this woman was a powerful sorceress.

"Clever girl." Nimueh replied,her eyes on Morgana now as she smirked over at her."Yes - I put the spell on the dahlia. It was easier than I thought to have Merlin under my command. Laurence,you see,was just an accessory to have Merlin believe that he could live in a kingdom where magic was allowed." She explained.

Arthur frowned. He only knew of an offer,but not _what _the offer was."Why would he want to live alongside magic?" He asked,not knowing the answer. He was taught to believe that all magic was evil by Uther,and Nimueh was one of the reasons why he now believed his father's words thoroughly. What he didn't understand was why Merlin would want to get involved in such dark arts.

Morgana sighed - she now knew the full extent of the past events."Arthur." She began."There's a lot you don't know about Merlin."

Nimueh smiled briefly."Oh? Doesn't the prince know of Merlin's little secret?" She asked,but Morgana simply looked away. Nimueh gave a laugh."Why,Arthur,Merlin has been lying to you for so long. You see,Merlin was born with magic,and he has forever been hiding that ability from everyone. For as a prince,you should know how dangerous it is for a sorcerer,or sorceress,to be discovered in Camelot." She explained,amused that the prince knew nothing.

Arthur was stunned at the new information until he looked over at Morgana."Is this true,Morgana?" He asked.

"He was too afraid to tell you,Arthur." Morgana replied."He didn't want you to disown him and have him executed. He couldn't risk it,and he decided to remain secret just so he could-"

"Remain by your side." Nimueh completed the sentence,chuckling afterwards."And now your poor manservant is dead. So shall you be." She concluded,before muttering something that the two couldn't hear,followed by a sudden flash of blue.

Everything happened too fast for Morgana to react as she watched Arthur thrown across the courtyard,landing on his back from the force of the spell. Morgana rushed over to Arthur's side,making sure he was alright,all the while keeping an eye on Nimueh who was about to conjure up another spell.

Arthur wasn't badly injured,but the spell had effected the gash in his thigh,making it bleed once again and send a shock of pain up his body. Arthur took a sharp intake of breath as he stood up with the help of Morgana,his hand unsheathing his sword as he did so.

Nimueh waited until Arthur stood up before sending the same spell their way,except this time she deliberately missed just to get the kick out of seeing them flinch. She chuckled and advanced towards them."Fighting is useless when the object of your journey is already dead." She commented,seeing the anguished look on the prince's face,which she only grinned at. Her plan to kill Merlin and to leave the prince weak had worked.

Morgana saw the expression on Arthur's face,and her anger flared up like a spark. This sorceress struck a nerve,after taunting Arthur and causing such pain that Morgana couldn't let her continue as she opened up the pouch that Gaius gave her.

"Fairy dust won't help you." Nimueh said as she saw the pouch.

Arthur could see that Nimueh was about to mutter another incantation,which he was right about. The sorceress muttered something and a flash of fire was sent their way,but Arthur pulled Morgana out of the way,just as the fire created a hole in the cavern wall where they were stood near,some of the rock tumbling to the ground.

"What's that?" Arthur said as Morgana managed to open the pouch,grabbing a handful of the powder inside. Morgana looked at Arthur before saying: "Something that will hopefully save us."

Morgana then turned her attention to Nimueh,taking a deep breath before advancing towards the sorceress."Morgana,don't!" Arthur shouted,but Morgana was already near Nimueh.

Morgana knew nothing of what the powder did,but she hoped it was powerful enough to stop the sorceress. Nimueh was about to utter another incantation when Morgana threw the powder at her,before saying: "_acquiro thy poena!" _

Too many things happened at once,but all to their good advantage. The first was the gash on Arthur's leg,which the prince noticed straight away due to the pain vanishing. The gash was disappearing,fading away simply,leaving no wound there to look at later.

The second was the powder that was thrown over Nimueh. It turned the colour of black and a loud hissing noise was heard as the powder turned to liquid over the sorceress' skin. Nimueh looked at Morgana with a smirk."I guess your silly spell didn't work." But no sooner was her words spoken was when Nimueh soon noticed that her skin was becoming irritated,and a burning sensation racked her body as the liquid seemed to melt against her skin. The liquid was starting to singe her skin badly,and soon the sorceress was no better than the mud beneath her feet as the spell burned her body to nothing.

The result after Nimueh's defeat was awarded with the sunlight growing stronger and the heavy atmosphere of danger lifted. Morgana sighed a relief as she stared at the ash that was once Nimueh,but her small celebration wasn't joined in by Arthur who had long since moved from his spot near the cavern wall,over to the body of Merlin. He was sat next to his manservant,his eyes cast downwards as he stared at the closed eyes of Merlin's.

Morgana daren't interrupt the quietness of the situation as she watched Arthur brush back Merlin's hair carefully,his hand lingering over his manservant's cheek. Morgana felt her heart break as she watched Arthur reach down to hold Merlin's hand,and as she trailed her eyes down to both their hands entwined,she noticed the dahlia sat lonesome near Arthur's feet.

In her dream,the dahlia was meant to be in Merlin's hand.

She was about to look back up to Arthur when she noticed the dahlia shift in colour slightly - ever so slightly turning from grey to a pale pink,a single petal growing perfectly from the middle of the flower. That petal was soon followed by another,then another,until the dahlia had all it's petal back and soon was the colour of red - so vibrant and new that Morgana couldn't help but smile at the new hope it brought.

The dahlia was reversing and coming back to life.

Arthur hadn't taken notice of the transformation as he closed his eyes,still holding onto Merlin's hand as he sat still next to him. He didn't even notice how Merlin's mouth moved slightly,trying to form words. Morgana noticed everything and in her excitement,she couldn't form words herself to tell Arthur that Merlin had come back to life.

The prince finally opened his eyes and stood up,releasing the young warlock's hand as he turned to face Morgana. Morgana lost her happiness when she saw Arthur's blue eyes shimmer. She thought it was the sunlight reflecting across his blues,but she soon noticed that they were,in fact,tears.

Morgana made her way over to the prince,where she placed an arm around him and allowed him to remain still within her arms,his whole body tense as he struggled to compose himself. Morgana peered over Arthur's shoulder to meet the eyes of Merlin,who was looking up at her through a hazy vision - it took a while for him to gather his surroundings,but he wasn't quite ready to stand up yet,since his body had only just woken up from being deceased. It wasn't everyday that a person recovered from being dead.

Morgana smiled down at the young warlock,who - in return - smiled back lightly. Morgana held Arthur tighter - for he hadn't noticed anything - ,her hand absent-mindedly playing with the back of his hair.

"I see you still haven't cut your hair,then." Merlin spoke,breathing a laugh as he tried to sit up. The sunlight was so bright,and his eyes had yet to adjust to the sudden light.

Morgana felt Arthur tense against her,so she released him and stepped back,allowing the prince time to realize it wasn't her who said that comment.

Arthur stared at Morgana,before turning around slowly and taking a few minutes to notice that Merlin was alive,and had a huge grin on his face. Arthur shook his head."_You're unbelievable,Merlin_." He whispered,yet he equaled the grin as he helped the young warlock up,his hand holding firmly on Merlin's arm,long after the male was standing up."Bloody unbelievable." Arthur repeated.

The red dahlia was in full bloom by now and lay on the step where Merlin was lying moments before. Merlin stared down at it and went to reach for it,when Arthur grasped his hand before he had the chance to pick it up. Arthur looked worried.

Morgana smiled at Arthur's reaction,before saying: "The spell is broken,Arthur. There is no sorceress to keep the spell on the flower."

"I knew that,_Morgana_." Arthur replied,clearing his throat before letting go of Merlin's hand and standing up straight,attempting to remain composed as he looked away,embarrassment creeping along his face."I should go and see to..to the horses,or something." He added,striding away.

Morgana only laughed quietly and made her way to Merlin,placing a hand on his arm."I'm glad you're alive and well,Merlin." She said,before looking over at Arthur."And so does he. He really does." She smiled at Merlin before allowing him to link arms with her,since he was slightly unsteady on his feet.

Merlin picked up the red dahlia and placed it nestled between his neckerchief,before walking besides Morgana,slowly but surely. He still felt lethargic.

* * *

><p>Merlin's horse was taken by the reins from Morgana,guiding it alongside her horse that she was sat upon. Arthur decided that Merlin wasn't fit enough to ride his horse,so he insisted that his manservant would ride with him,instead. Morgana didn't refuse,taking in the account of Merlin's state,and the fact that she knew Arthur wouldn't want him out of his sights for the whole journey.<p>

They were now making it back towards Camelot,their horses in a gallop for most of the journey,but they made into a trot once they drew nearer to their kingdom,knowing now that there was no danger.

"What happened to Laurence?" Morgana asked,drawing up her horse besides Arthur's. Merlin's horse was on the other side of her,following nicely in line.

"I left him in the cavern with a nasty wound to his side." Arthur replied,his face stern as he stared ahead of him."If he died,then so be it. If he lived,then I hope he knows never to set foot in Camelot again." He explained,flicking his eyes over to Morgana,before ahead again.

"You looked at me strangely." Morgana commented.

"We need to talk once we get back to Camelot." Arthur said simply,then nothing more as he looked at Merlin who was sat in front of him,oddly quiet."Merlin,are you alright?" He asked,then noticed the young warlock was sleeping. Arthur rolled his eyes,taking one hand off the reins to place around Merlin's waist,in a bid to keep him upright since he was no longer conscious to sit properly.

"What are we to talk about?" Morgana asked,frowning briefly.

"Alot,Morgana." Arthur replied,putting an end to that topic.

* * *

><p><strong>Before you take a gander: Laurence <em>is <em>dead. It'd be a miracle if he survived a sword being stabbed through his side.**

**..._Painful_.**


	7. Pleasure And Pain

**Alrighty,this is the M-rated chapter.**

**And also,I apologize again for the delayed update. I was meant to upload it yesterday,but I came home late and I was so tired that I didn't even bother to get undressed,and literally collapsed on my bed. 4 hours of driving and spending the day at a theme park takes it's toll,especially when the people in your car are all sleeping and you so _desperately _want to sleep along with them - pfft. It was torture. And driving in the dark made it worse.**

**Enough of my ranting.**

**Here's chapter 7 in all it's glory!**

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><p>The trio made it to Camelot,riding into the gates and dismounting their horses,which were taken by a couple of knights on guard near the doors to the main castle quarters.<p>

For once in his life,Arthur helped Merlin to dismount the horse,which would usually be in reverse role in normal circumstances,but the male was barely awake as he was lifted to the ground by the prince.

"Still as lazy as ever." Arthur commented,shaking his head,though Melin knew he wasn't being serious. Merlin grinned,giving his horse a brief pat on the side as Morgana and Arthur led him to Gaius,where he would examine the young warlock for any side-effects of the spell,or other.

Before they made it to Gaius,somebody called out Merlin's name from the other side of the courtyard."Merlin!" They shouted.

Merlin stopped walking to watch as Gwen made her way towards them with buckets in her hand,full of water. She was careful not to spill the water as she stood in front of Merlin."I was so worried." She began,putting down her buckets to hug him."I was told by Gaius that you were missing,and there was even a small search for you." She explained,releasing the male and smiling at him."I'm glad you're alright." Gwen then noticed Arthur and Morgana and quickly curtsied them,feeling embarrassed for not greeting them before talking to Merlin.

Arthur placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder as he addressed Gwen."We must be getting along now,Gwen. Merlin needs to be checked by Gaius." He explained,feeling impatient,yet he tried not to show it since he knew it was only polite for a friend to see if their friend was well.

"Oh - yes,of course." Gwen responded,smiling lightly before picking up her buckets of water."I'll see you around,Merlin."

Merlin smiled at her."Alright,Gwen." He replied,before Gwen walked back across the courtyard to continue what she was doing with the water.

* * *

><p>Gaius was busy examining a line of bottles he'd set out on his desk,all the same size and colour,yet he seemed intent on them as he stood in front of them,his hand on his chin as he paid full attention to them. He didn't even notice the door open with the trio until Merlin spoke up.<p>

"Hey,Gaius." Merlin said,nearly giving the old man a fright as he looked at them quickly,registering them for a moment before collecting up the bottles and going to place them on a shelf.

Gaius tutted."I see you're still alive,then." He commented,looking at Merlin."You're going to get yourself killed one day,Merlin." He added,brushing down his robe from previous experiments and making his way over to the three.

"Gaius," Arthur began."Merlin needs a small check,just in case." He explained.

"Yes,sire." Gaius replied,motioning for Merlin to sit down on the bed that had been freshly made,since the deceased knight was in it last and it did no good for a physicist to have an unhygienic place.

Merlin sat down on the bed,though he thought this check wasn't necessary,since he felt fine and knew there wasn't anything wrong with him. The journey back to Camelot gave him time to recover. But,Arthur seemed insistant,so he didn't argue with it.

In the end,Merlin was right. The check w_as _pointless. Gaius concluded there was nothing wrong with him,save for a few cuts and bruises,but that was only natural to come with traveling and being thrown about,which Merlin explained during the check when Gaius asked where certain bruises,or cuts,resulted from. Either way,Gaius still gave Merlin a medicine that tasted foul and claimed it would help the healing process along and kill any germs. With the way it tasted,Merlin guessed it could kill most a_nything._

Morgana decided to head back to her chambers once she knew that Merlin was alright. She gave the manservant a hug - with no mind to the statuses of both of them,but was stopped by Arthur before she made off. He pulled her aside near the door.

"We need to talk later." Arthur reminded her."I'll come to your chambers in a while or so." He added,before allowing her to go.

Gaius was speaking with Merlin when Arthur made his way back over to them,but the physicist was only dicsussing about how Merlin should really keep out of trouble. Merlin didn't bother to explain how it wasn't really his fault,and that he was under a spell.

Arthur waited until Gaius was finished speaking and went off to do something before standing besides the bed,placing his hand on the wooden header of it."Are you feeling better now?" Arthur asked.

Merlin looked up at him and nodded."Bit groggy,but I'm alright now." He replied,watching as the blonde moved across to sit down next to him on the bed. "Um..thank you,Arthur." He added,smiling briefly before looking down at his hands. He then noticed that he still had the red dahlia in his neckerchief and he took it out,holding it inbetween his fingers.

Arthur shook his head."If Morgana didn't tell me about her dream,then I wouldn't have known." He explained,reaching over to gently take the flower from Merlin's fingers.

"I'll be back in a bit." Gaius piped up,picking up a small basket from his desk before heading for the door."The amount of herbs I go through a day." He added thoughtfully,before exiting the room,leaving the two on their own.

"Is he usually this.." Arthur began,trying to think of a word to describe the old man,but in an unoffensive manner.

"Batty?" Merlin completed,laughing."Mostly everyday. I get used to it,though." He added,watching as Arthur took the flower from his fingers and began to twirl it inbetween his palms.

Arthur was quiet for a while before looking up at Merlin,still twirling the dahlia inbetween his palms.

There were a few questions on his mind that he'd been meaning to ask - before,and after the event that had happened. Now seemed the right time to the prince,since it was just the two of them and it was the only time that he wasn't stressed as being a prince. He treasured moments like these,when he could have a normal conversation with Merlin without his princely duties getting in the way. Somedays,he envied the other manservants and maidservants,since they could banter with Merlin to their hearts content.

Merlin noticed that the blonde was staring at him,so he looked at him strangely."What?" He asked,hoping to God that the prince didn't notice the shade of colour to his cheeks that grew the more the blonde stared at him.

Arthur stopped twirling the dahlia."So,you were enchanted by him." He began,confusing Merlin for a moment.

"Oh dear." Merlin said,sitting upright."The prince has finally lost his mind." He commented.

The prince tutted."_Merlin." _He scolded lightly,looking non too impressed at his manservant's witty comment. Merlin grinned.

"You know I was enchanted by him." Merlin said."Or else I wouldn't have gone along with the offer." He added,knowing full well he wouldn't.

He wouldn't have thrown away the friendship he'd developed with the prince for anything: not even riches. And not even for the use of magic. The offer was tempting to say the least,but Merlin thought it over and decided to refuse since he knew the blonde was his destiny and he couldn't end everything suddenly,after the years of protecting his prince and getting to be besides him. It wasn't worth it if he accepted. He just didn't expect to become forced under an enchantment - and he was glad that Arthur and Morgana got to him in time.

"I didn't mean _that _enchantment." Arthur responded,waiting for Merlin to get what he meant. It didn't take long as the young warlock stared back at the blonde with a stunned expression.

"I..no." Merlin replied,averting his gaze."He was nice,but..no,Arthur. Why - why would you comment on that?" He asked,wanting to reverse the spotlight.

Arthur didn't seem phased as he placed the dahlia back in Merlin's neckerchief."Do tell me,Merlin - why wouldn't you have gone along with the offer?" He asked,ignoring his manservant's question. He could see that Merlin was trying to think of a respectable answer as he looked about the room.

Merlin cleared his throat briefly,but said nothing as he couldn't think of a real enough answer that wasn't pathetic.

"I mean," Arthur interrupted Merlin's thoughts,pausing for a moment before looking at his manservant with an intrigued expression.

The next sentence that Arthur sent a cold chill down Merlin's spine.

"The temptation to use magic freely must have been high." The prince finished,examining Merlin's expression that looked both stunned,and frightened.

Merlin looked over at Arthur,his heart hammering as he fumbled with his words."I'm sorry. I would have told you,but I...I'm sorry,Arthur." He tried explaining his reasons,which came out as fumbled words stuck together. Merlin couldn't describe how he felt as he sat,uncomfortably,on the bed with Arthur's eyes boring a hole in the side of his head as he tried to come up with suitable reasons,his heart beating too fast for him to concentrate.

_How did he even know?_

The question sprung to Merlin's mind."How did you know?" He asked,swallowing a lump in his throat as he dared to look at his prince.

"How did I _not _know,Merlin." Arthur commented,thinning his lips as he looked to the other side of the room."How long have you been hiding this from me?" He asked - it was a response that Merlin didn't expect. He knew the blonde would be frustrated,but he came off lightly,especially putting it next to the people who confessed and got themselves executed.

"Since I first met you." Merlin replied back,quietly."When I saw how that sorcerer was beheaded the first day I came to Camelot. Since then,I was too scared to tell you. To tell anyone,in fact. Only Gaius knows." He explained,then quickly continued."But,please,let Gaius be away with it. I'll suffer the consequences,but leave Gaius out of it."

Arthur shook his head and Merlin thought he was disagreeing to letting Gaius go."Merlin,nobodies going to be punished." He replied."_Most of all you_." He added,near whispering,but Merlin heard it.

"Why?" Merlin asked.

The prince looked back at Merlin,sincerity set in his eyes as he brought his hand upon Merlin's hand."I nearly lost you today." He began,seeing Merlin's eyes flicker down to Arthur's hand holding his before looking back up."I'm not going to allow that to happen again,Merlin." He concluded,staring at his manservant for a few moments longer before leaning forward and pressing his lips against Merlin's softly.

Merlin didn't register what was going on at first until he felt Arthur squeeze his hand. That was when he kissed back,closing his eyes in the process as he pressed in further.

Arthur squeezed his hand again before he broke the kiss off."I've seen the evil's of magic today. But,I know that you would do no such thing." He said,bringing the hand he was holding up to his lips and kissing Merlin's knuckles lightly,keeping his eyes on his manservant as he did so.

Merlin was speechless for once in his life as he stared back at Arthur,allowing his hand to be kissed by the future King of Camelot.

"Oh,look." Arthur said,smirking lightly."My usually witty remarked manservant has nothing to say." He placed Merlin's hand back down,yet remained with a hold on it as he used his free hand to brush back his manservant's fringe."Atleast nod to let me know you're alright with this." He explained.

Merlin nodded instantly,before grinning."You were jealous of Laurence." He commented.

Arthur rolled his eyes."There's the witty remark." He responded,taking his hand away from Merlin's face."You can't possibly prove that now,Merlin." He added.

"And there's the stubbornness." Merlin commented,his grin still playing on his face as he watched Arthur become more stubborn by muttering something about 'not being stubborn.'

Merlin breathed a laugh before placing a light kiss on the blonde's cheek."But,I like it." He added,making Arthur turn his head to look at him.

"Good." Arthur replied,smiling softly before pressing his lips against Merlin's again. That was,until Gaius entered the room,forcing the two to break apart and act natural as the physicist set down his basket on the desk and sighed.

"Not many herbs are easy to find." Gaius began to explain as he took out the bundles of herbs from his basket and began to lay them out on the desk,sorting out the different types.

Arthur stood up from the bed,looking down at Merlin as he knew his manservant would have to endure Gaius's complaints."I shall see you this evening,since you still have your duties to attend to." He explained,loud enough for Gaius to hear,before letting go of Merlin's hand and exiting the quarters with a pleased smile on his face.

Arthur couldn't have wished for a better outcome.

Neither could Merlin as he remained sitting on the bed,grinning like a fool to himself as he switched off from listening to Gaius talking about the herbs.

* * *

><p>Morgana was sat at her vanity mirror,proceeding to slide silver clips in her hair since she didn't find such a task difficult enough without Gwen. It was time that Gwen needed a day's rest,Morgana thought as she collected the silver clips into a pile and placed them inside a jewelry box.<p>

A knock on her door drew her attention."Come in." She called,and her door opened to reveal Arthur."Is Merlin alright now?" She asked as Arthur closed the door and sat down on a chair near her.

Morgana noted the small grin on the blonde's face when he replied."He's better now." Nodding once,he continued."Although,Merlin is the one I wanted to discuss with you."

"Oh?" Morgana asked."You two haven't fallen out already,have you?" She sounded exhausted,as though she was a mother trying to control her two children who constantly fought.

"Oh - no,nothing like that." Arthur replied,shaking his head. He then crossed his arms and laid them across his chest as he sighed."Where did you get that powder from?" He asked,remembering how Morgana threw some sort of grey powder onto the sorceress,whilst shouting a strange incantation. Arthur didn't even know what language it was she spoke.

Morgana shifted uncomfortabling in her seat as she trailed her eyes over to the drawer to her right. Arthur noticed and opened up the drawer to reveal the pouch that Morgana carried. The prince took it out and examined the powder inside. Most of it was gone,but there was enough there.

"I cannot say." Morgana whispered. She didn't want Gaius to get in trouble for her sake.

"How long have you known?" Arthur asked as he placed the pouch inside his pocket. If she didn't want to say who the powder was from,then he thought it deemed worthy of her to atleast answer the question that was nagging in his mind about Merlin.

Morgana frowned lightly."Have I known what,Arthur?" She asked.

Arthur looked at her pathetically."Come on,Morgana. How long have you known that Merlin has magic?" He added further. She couldn't deny the right to answer the question,since she revealed most of it during the conversation with Nimueh.

Morgana sighed and looked down at her jewelry box."Quite a while now." She replied,looking back up at the blonde."If you do confront Merl-"

"I already asked him about it." Arthur interrupted."He didn't deny anything. In fact,it went better than I thought." He explained,and Morgana could see the shine to his blue eyes,though he expression remained bored.

"And do you accept him?" Morgana asked.

"Yes,of course." Arthur replied.

Morgana smiled lightly."Of course." She repeated,finding it pointless to question his answer since she knew that Arthur would only be disappointed in finding out _now,_and wouldn't even think about executing Merlin.

She could see the glimmer in his eyes and the small tugging at the side of his lips as he tried to contain his joyous expression that was finding a way through the crack in his mask. Morgana knew it wouldn't be long before Merlin sought that crack in the mask and made it bigger,breaking through Arthur's unbreakable demeanor. Intentional or not,Merlin had suceeded.

"And you'll love him forever more?" Morgana asked,bluntly. She tried to contain the smirk that played on her lips as she saw Arthur clear his throat at the sudden question.

"Morgana-"

"Don't deny it,Arthur Pendragon." Morgana teased,cutting off the prince's sentence."I can see through you like glass." She added,smiling.

Arthur couldn't help but smile back,though try as he might to refuse that smile.

"But,before we start discussing. I think you need to see your father first." Morgana commented,thinking back to how Uther had been coughing violently and that he was becoming pale by the day."I don't think he appreciated you running out of Camelot like that,since he was awaiting your return this morning." She added,taking out a blue slide and - brushing her black hair back - pinned it to the back,brushing her front curls to the side.

Arthur stood up from his chair."_Great_." He commented,dreading what his father would be saying. Arthur was about to exit the room when Morgana spoke again.

"What are you going to do about you and Merlin?" She asked,looking at Arthur in the mirror,lingering with the door open.

"If you're referring to status,Morgana." Arthur began,then continued when Morgana nodded."Then status is only a label." He finished,walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Morgana looked at herself in the mirror and smiled lightly."_That's what I was afraid of." _She whispered,thinking about Uther and the other royals. She could see their reactions already if they found out the prince was in love with a manservant. It would do nothing,and get nowhere. But,Morgana would support him all the way,since she knew they would have a relationship that lasted.

Morgana was more afraid of Uther finding out. That would be total chaos,and Merlin would take the brunt of it all in the end. He would either be banned from Camelot,or worse: "Killed." Morgana said,before standing up and exiting her chambers.

* * *

><p>King Uther was on the castle over look,staring out at his kingdom below. He needed fresh air and so decided to spend a few minutes up here,relishing in the slight breeze and the strong sunshine that seemed to just appear in a split second.<p>

When he heard somebody behind him,he looked over towards them and simply beckoned them forward when he saw it was his son."Arthur." He began when Arthur stood besides him,his father laying a hand on his shoulder as he usually did when he came down to a serious chat.

Arthur noticed how his father's hand seemed to quiver when he reached over to place it on his shoulder - and the fact that it wasn't as strong as it usually was. It was light."How come you didn't come to greet me this morning after your hunting trip. I saw you enter the gates,but you ran back out again later on. And what was the commotion with sending your knights out?" Uther explained,hiding his anger well.

"I'm sorry,father." Arthur replied back,placing his hands on the stone wall he was over looking."I was informed about a creature roaming to the West,and so decided to investigate." He explained,missing out the whole ordeal that surrounded Merlin. Uther wouldn't take his reasoning seriously if he told him that he managed to get a knight killed,and sent Morgana into danger by allowing her to follow him.

Uther moved his hand away from Arthur's shoulder and placed his hands on the stone wall,taking a deep breath as he thought."Did you take care of it?" He finally asked.

"I did,yes." Arthur replied,switching to his serious self. It was always this side of him whenever he was speaking to his father,since Uther was the type of man to interrogate,especially if his son was in a too-happy mood.

"Well done." Uther replied,looking briefly at Arthur before ahead again."Were there any injuries?" He asked,having not been informed of the knight's death.

Arthur was about to reply when his father suddenly doubled over,clutching his chest."Father?" Arthur asked,instantly at Uther's side as he started to take in deep breaths,clutching his shirt tightly.

".._Ah." _Uther attempted to speak,but a pain in his chest prevented him to do so and he had to grip onto his son's arm to indicate that he was in severe pain.

Arthur couldn't just leave his father so he looked over the stone wall and, spotting a few guards,called out to them to get Gaius,and quickly."Gaius will be here soon." Arthur said to Uther as he guided his father down to a sit,leaning against the stone wall. He could see that his father was in agony from the way he scrunched up his face and gave tiny whines that panicked Arthur even more.

Gaius arrived a short while later along with the guards that were instructed before-hand to get him. They carefully,yet swiftly,moved the king to Gaius's quarters and made him lie on the bed as the physicist quickly worked to find out what was happening to Uther.

Gaius already knew the king wasn't feeling too well,since Morgana brought him to him yesterday. He was complaining of chest pains,and seemed short of breath.

Uther was still in great pain as he lay on the bed,allowing Gaius to examine him. He would whine every now and again,trying to explain the pain he was feeling on the left side of his body,somewhere near his ribs. Arthur paced the room as he tried blocking out the pained sounds from his father. Nothing like this had happened before,and it was so _sudden._

"Arthur,your father's experiencing cardiac arrest." Gaius said quickly,motioning a bottle on the desk for the blonde to bring over.

"Cardiac arrest?" Arthur asked,having not heard that word before,passing over the bottle with haste. Gaius took the bottle and made Uther drink it the best he could through the king's gasps.

"I'm sorry,Arthur. I can't explain right now." Gaius excused as Uther started breathing less and he was on the verge of fainting.

Arthur looked at his father one last time before rushing out of the room and towards his chambers,ignoring the strange looks he got as he ran across the courtyard and back into the main castle quarters,quickly making his way down the hallways until he reached his door. Arthur didn't realize that Merlin wasn't with Gaius when he entered the physicists quarters,since he was too busy concerned with his father to notice anything around him.

He only realized when he opened his door and saw Merlin standing near the window,polishing the brass buttons on his jacket that he usually wore to grand occasions. His manservant was too busy looking out of the window and polishing the buttons to notice the blond besides him. Merlin started to hum as he looked down at his work so far,giving the buttons a quick once over before going to set the jacket in the trunk besides Arthur's bed.

Merlin looked up when he saw he wasn't alone anymore."Arthur." He greeted,smiling at the blonde,but before he knew it,he was being pressed up against the prince's chest in an enveloping hug that made the young warlock drop the jacket and the rag he used to polish."Arthur?" Merlin asked. This wan't normal behaviour for the blonde,no matter if they shared a kiss,or not.

"You'll always be by my side,won't you,Merlin?" Arthur asked,his grip on his manservant almost suffocating as he laid his head in the crook of Merlin's neck.

Merlin was starting to get worried now as he felt Arthur's warm breath on his neck,his hands clutching the jacket that was on the back of Merlin."Yes,Arthur. I've always been,haven't I?" He replied back,pulling back away from the blonde to look him in the eyes."What's happened?"

Arthur didn't answer as he reached up to cup Merlin's cheeks before pressing his lips against Merlin's strongly - bruising,almost. Enough to make Merlin pull back in surprise."I'm safe,Arthur. I'm here and I won't leave you." He explained,taking the blonde's hand and moving them away from his cheeks which were now a shade of pink.

"Do you promise me that?" Arthur asked as he lent forward,his lips ghosting over Merlin's as his hand trailed up his manservant's arm to rest on the side of his shoulder.

Merlin flicked his eyes down to Arthur's lips,his mind losing concentration for a moment as he only concentrated on the warm breath that was tickling his mouth,along with the gentle touch of Arthur's hand traveling up his arm slowly. He flicked his eyes back up to meet the blues in front of him,nearly forgetting the question asked."Of course." He answered,clearly yet quiet as he felt Arthur place his hand on the side of his neck,before closing the gap between their lips again. This time,Merlin kissed back.

It was a slow and soft kiss that sent butterflies into a frenzy inside Merlin's stomach,his arms reaching up to wind themselves around the prince's neck,one of his hand brushing up into the blonde strands that still needed a desperate cut.

Merlin soon forgot trying to find out why Arthur was acting this way as he got caught up in the gentle kiss he was receiving - something he never thought that he'd be granted. Whenever Merlin used to dream about getting something,it never usually happened. But,that wasn't the case right now. This time he got what he wanted.

Arthur's other hand let go of the hand he was holding to make it's way up the waist of his manservant,lightly tracing the skin and feeling each rib as he trailed his hand up the curve,eventually sliding over Merlin's chest - causing his manservant to draw in a breath from the sensation - and deeply rubbing the skin with his thumb as he continued to kiss Merlin,pulling away slightly when the breath was drawn from the young warlock. He rubbed in circles,the action copied with his other thumb on Merlin's neck.

The room was first cold when Merlin entered it,but now it didn't seem cold enough as Arthur's touches caused heat to rush through his body,from the pit of his stomach to his face and inbetween his legs - the butterflies in his stomach adding to the heat as he tried to grab as much oxygen as possible between the gaps in their kisses. Merlin's stomach twisted everytime Arthur brushed his skin lightly - ever so lightly,but enough for Merlin to draw in breaths and pant quietly,the heat rushing to his face as they broke their kiss and looked at each other through hazy,lust-filled eyes.

Arthur smiled softly as he saw the brightness in Merlin's eyes. The kind of brightness that he loved,and made his heart lighten - only to make his heart heavy when he noticed the dullness in Merlin's eyes during the hunting trip,and how it made him feel like everything was going wrong. He would sought to keep that brightness in his manservant's eyes.

Arthur placed a ghosted kiss across the side of Merlin's mouth as he moved both of his hands to Merlin's waist,slowly sliding them up the medium-built body that he'd seen a few times whenever he went to wake Merlin up to attend to his duties and see his manservant sleeping without a top on. He placed another kiss on Merlin's mouth before lifting the top over his head and dropping it on the floor,his eyes flicking down to take in the smart build that Merlin had from hours of labour and running around for his prince.

"Don't stare." Merlin said,causing the blonde to smirk and look back up at him.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of." Arthur commented,placing his hand on Merlin's jaw and kissing the opposite side of his jaw a few times,before kissing down his neck lightly at first,then deeper as he kissed over to the front of Merlin's neck,tracing over his Adam's apple that shifted from Merlin swallowing.

Merlin tilted his head back,allowing more access to his skin for Arthur to kiss. The kisses were feather-light at first,then grew deeper,causing Merlin to groan as the front of his neck was pressed by the blonde's lips. He swallowed the saliva that formed in his mouth as his throat became dry when he left his mouth partly open for a long time. Merlin looked down at Arthur when the blonde started to nip at his collarbone,leaving small red marks where he teased the skin. Merlin mentally thanked goodness that he wore neckerchiefs,or else somebody would notice the bites.

The light from behind Merlin alerted the young warlock that the curtains were drawn,so he stopped Arthur by pushing him away lightly."Anyone could be watching." Merlin commented,looking over his shoulder to see the other part of the castle and the spires above. Nobody was looking at them,but he didn't want to chance it.

Arthur reached across Merlin to pull the string cords connected to the curtains,drawing them to and eliminating the open view,along with the light. But,not all the light was gone as the candelabras lining the walls had candles lit up,casting an orange and red glow.

"Problem solved." Arthur commented,before locking lips with Merlin again and obliviously ushering his manservant to walk backwards,on course to his bed that had been freshly made by Merlin himself before-hand.

Merlin moved his hands to the front of Arthur's shirt,gripping the material as he kissed the prince back just as strongly. He didn't notice that they were moving backwards until his arm brushed against the poster of the bed,but he didn't break off the kiss as Arthur placed his hands on his hips,keeping them there even when they both fell onto the bed as Merlin kept his grip on Arthur's shirt when he fell backwards onto the soft duvet.

Arthur broke off the kiss as he gave time for Merlin to move back so that his head rested on the pillows,his body underneath the prince who rested between his legs. Arthur smiled down at his manservant as he took Merlin's hand in his,guiding them under his own shirt to let him take it off,releasing Merlin's hands when he felt him pushing up his shirt without his help.

Merlin could feel the bumps over Arthur's torso as he slid his hands up,eventually shifting the shirt over the blonde's head and revealing the finely built torso from plenty of tournaments and sword training out in the fields near the castle. Merlin spread his hands evenly across to feel every muscle that was shown before him,his eyes following his hands as he moved them up to Arthur's neck,finally winding his arms around it and looking up at the prince.

He could tell that Arthur was as respondant to his touches as he was with his,as the blonde pressed his lower half against his,trying to gain closure between them and create friction that followed after when Arthur shifted closer to him,evidently causing the friction that emitted a moan from Merlin.

Arthur felt a heat of his own rush to his crotch when he heard the moan from Merlin. It wasn't similar to that of a moan from pain,but more drawn out and smooth that had the prince soughting out to draw out that moan again as he lent down and kissed Merlin deeply,feeling the response of Merlin's arms tightening around his neck as he kissed back.

Their torso's were pressed against each other,each feeling the other's warmth rising from their skin and creating a relaxation that felt right. Arthur felt the rise and fall of Merlin's chest against his as he breathed out between the quick kisses they exchanged,wanting to experience more of the warmth that eminated from the touches they gave each other during the quickened kisses.

Merlin lifted his hips to press further into Arthur,having being greeted with the effect that he gave to the blonde. He felt Arthur grip his hips briefly as he rubbed against him,and heard the low groan from the blonde as he broke the kiss off as soon as he felt Merlin creating more of the friction from before.

Arthur met his eyes with Merlin who was looking up at him with half-closed eyelids,his mouth partly open as he caught his breath from all the kissing. Arthur caught his breath also.

"If I knew any better," Arthur began,his hands on Merlin's hips sliding downwards to guide Merlin's pants down over his hips,exposing more skin."I'd say you've put some sort of enchantment on _me." _

"Then surely you have magic." Merlin replied back,his fingers absent-mindedly playing with the back of Arthur's hair."Since you've done the same to me." He grinned afterwards as he noticed how Arthur's irises grew larger,an indication that Merlin had said the right thing. Merlin moved his head up to capture the prince's lips again as he felt Arthur slide his pants - along with his underwear - further down until he eventually managed to dismiss them and drop them over the side of the bed without breaking the kiss.

Merlin could feel his stomach twisting again as Arthur rubbed up against him,the material of his pants sending an odd sensation up Merlin's body and causing him to moan loudly. Arthur kissed him deeper,one of his hands traveling down to hold Merlin's outer thigh,whilst his other hand was placed on his hip again.

Arthur lightly dragged his teeth over Merlin's lower lip as he moved to kiss the front of the male's neck,nipping gently at the skin before he sat up right to rid himself of his own pants - which was a slightly difficult task since he was trying to keep his body connected with Merlin still,not wanting to decrease the growing warmth between them.

Once Arthur was rid of his garments,he pressed back up against Merlin,causing the both of them to moan at the new contact of their lower halves.

"_..Arthur." _Merlin breathed,reaching up to place his hands on the prince's shoulders,his eyes closed as Arthur started to move against him: slowly at first,then gradually picking up speed as he created a circular motion,causing Merlin to moan and lift his hips up briefly from the sudden pleasure that arose. He pressed his head further back into the pillows as Arthur squeezed his outer thighs with his hands,his own groans mixing with Merlin's quiet moans.

Merlin opened his eyes again to look at Arthur."Arthur,_please." _He said as he lightly dragged his nails across the back of the prince's neck.

Arthur stopped his movements as he looked back at Merlin."Are you sure you want to go that far,Merlin?" He asked,reaching up to place a hand on the male's cheek,gently stroking the skin with his thumb.

"I'm afraid we've gone too far to stop now." Merlin replied,grinning broadly as he breathed out a chuckle.

Arthur smiled softly at him and placed a strong kiss on Merlin's forehead. He then brought his hand from Merlin's thigh and drew it upwards."I shall be as wary as I can." He commented,"But,I need your assistance." He added as he traced Merlin's lower lip with his index finger.

Merlin nodded and allowed Arthur to place his index finger inside his mouth,where he instantly set to work in creating moisture with his tongue,followed by Arthur's middle finger and then third,until they were ready enough. The prince could feel himself becoming more effected by the way Merlin used his tongue visibly,taking his time to ready each finger and drawing back his head when he was finished.

Arthur kissed Merlin on the lips as he slid his fingers down the inside of the male's thighs slowly,feeling Merlin's thighs tense up briefly as he reached inbetween his legs and started to press his index finger against his entrance carefully.

Merlin drew a sharp intake of breath in the middle of their kiss as he felt Arthur's index finger push into him,slowly but still uncomfortable since the young warlock was still pure and he hadn't experienced this before. Arthur noticed this and attempted to distract Merlin by kissing him strongly,his free hand gently rubbing the male's waist. This seemed to work as Arthur was able to start moving his index finger,which was followed by his middle later on,then his third,until he began to twist his fingers to prepare Merlin for when Arthur would push into him.

"_Ah.." _Merlin drew out as he started to notice that the uncomfortable feeling was being placed with a strange sort of pleasure that had the young warlock nearly digging his nails into Arthur's neck as the prince pressed his fingers further into him,before drawing them out - not fully - then pushing them back in again,creating a small rhythm that had Merlin writhing under the blonde.

After a few more movements to make sure Merlin was well prepared,Arthur withdrew his fingers and allowed for his manservant to settle after experiencing a new action that sent both pain and pleasure through his body." Are you ready?" Arthur asked,placing gentle kisses alongside Merlin's jaw.

Merlin tightened his hold on Arthur's neck before he answered."Yes,Arthur." And he gasped,closing his eyes tightly,when he felt the blonde push slowly into him; it was an odd feeling and he bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying out. Instead,he tightened his grip on Arthur's neck.

Arthur noticed this and stopped pushing in,placing a small kiss on Merlin's jaw."Does it hurt?" He asked,"We can stop if you find it uncomfortable." He added.

Merlin breathed out a laugh and looked up at the blonde with a smile."I've been through worse things concerning you - I think I can handle it." He replied,making the prince smile back.

"The things I put you through." Arthur commented - and when Merlin shifted under him to indicate for him to continue,he kissed the young warlock on the lips and proceeded to push in,slowly. It took some time - mostly down to Arthur stopping everytime Merlin gripped his neck - but the prince managed to start up a slow rhythm,distracting his manservant through the minor pain by giving him strong - or light - kisses to parts of his neck,jaw and collarbone.

Merlin started to adjust to the intrusion and began to move with the blonde,experimenting with going faster until he felt pleasure build up from the rhythm. He slid his hands to Arthur's shoulders,pressing his head back further into the pillow beneath him,and let out low groans as the pleasure brought back the butterflies in his stomach.

Arthur lent down further so they were pressed against each other,traveling his hands down to hold Merlin's outer thighs as he kissed across his collarbone,all the while keeping his thrusts in time. The warmth of Merlin beneath him and inside made him forget everything that had gone wrong the past couple of days.

It made him forget how he nearly lost his manservant - and the quiet moans from Merlin above made the moment all too real that Arthur had him by his side,and that Merlin wasn't anywhere but with him. That nobody would dare take him from the prince.

"Arthur.." Merlin said,coming out in a near whisper."_Faster." _He breathed,his hands lightly gripping Arthur's shoulder for a brief moment as he said the word that sent a warm shiver down the prince's spine.

Arthur took a firm hold on Merlin's outer thighs as he began to move quicker,moving his head to the crook of the male's neck as he pushed in further. He could hear the quickened breath of Merlin against his ear,sending another warm shiver down his body as he emitted a quiet groan against his neck,the warmth increasing between the two as they moved faster against each other.

Merlin emitted a loud moan when Arthur gave a certain,strong thrust,causing him to grip the blonde's shoulders - nearly digging his nails in - and writhe his body up from the sheets. "God,_Arthur." _He moaned,and was met with the same strong thrusts from the prince in a continuous rhythm that sent Merlin's body burning from the intense pleasure and warmth with each thrust he recieved from Arthur. He,too,forgot everything that had happened to him the past few days: from ever meeting Laurence,down to being unable to breathe on the stone steps in the abandoned courtyard.

But,now - now he experienced shortness of breath for a totally different reason as he trailed his hands down the arch of Arthur's back,resting on the small of it as he allowed the pleasure to over-run his body as he closed his eyes tighter,seeming that his body molded with the sheets underneath him and with the just as warm body above him. His groans were serenaded with Arthur's that were tickling against his neck.

"_Merlin.." _Arthur muttered against his manservant's neck as his thrusts increased,sending them both great pleasure through their bodies and causing Merlin to push further onto the blonde as he arched his back. Arthur pulled his head away from Merlin's neck to look down at the male,who had his eyes open now and looked back up at him. They stared at each for a few moment before Arthur kissed Merlin on the lips strongly,before pulling away from the kiss and ghosting his lips over Merlin's."_I cannot describe how much I love you,Merlin." _He breathed against the young warlock's partly open mouth.

Merlin closed his eyes as he allowed the words to sink in,guiding his arms back up to wind around Arthur's neck again."I love you too,Arthur." He replied back,brushing his lips against Arthur's briefly."_Even if you are a royal prat." _He whispered,causing the blonde to smirk and close the gap between their lips.

Soon after,Merlin could feel his stomach twisting again,much greater this time as intense pleasure racked his body and caused him to moan loudly. He gripped Arthur's neck as he released,panting quietly as the butterflies in his stomach attempted to calm down.

Arthur released after a few more thrusts,closing his eyes as he regained his breath that was long-forgotten. He waited a moment before pulling out and shifting so he was lying besides Merlin,his hand reaching across to lightly run along the male's cheek as he watched him regain his breath,also,staring up at the ceiling above them.

Merlin eventually turned his head to look at Arthur,the two of them equaling the smile on their faces as they stared at one another.

"Yes,Merlin." Arthur began,looking up at the ceiling."I w_as _jealous of Laurence." He admitted,thinning his lips as he heard Merlin laugh loudly.

"I _knew _it!" Merlin said,as though it was a great achievement. To him,it was. Getting a stubborn prince to admit something that lowered his tough demeanor w_as _an achievement.

Arthur rolled his eyes and pushed Merlin's face away lightly with his hand."I don't care." Arthur said.

Merlin grinned and pushed away Arthur's hand,looking over at him."Of course you don't." He said,meeting Arthur's not so amused face. Merlin's grin widened at his prince's expression - that sort of look usually effected other people as a warning not to mess with the blonde,but Merlin found it amusing and couldn't help but grin.

"Shut up,Merlin." Arthur said,about to kiss Merlin on the lips again when somebody knocked on his chambers door,stopping him mid-way.

Merlin was already out of the bed and getting dressed as Arthur pulled on his pants and made for the door. He waited until Merlin had sorted himself out and looked as ordinary as he could before opening up the door half-way,only allowing the person in front of him to see as far as Merlin and the table to the left.

It was a knight,and he was holding his helmet against his chest as he looked at the prince with an unreadable expression.

"Well,what is it?" Arthur asked,switching to his impatient mood and normal behaviour. It was amazing to Merlin how he managed to act on impulse.

Merlin couldn't hear what the knight said,since he said it quietly and in a tone that only the blonde could take note of. Merlin watched as Arthur listened then dismissed the knight,closing the door slowly afterwards and simply standing there.

Merlin walked towards Arthur as the blonde turned to the side and remained quiet."Is everything alright?" Merlin asked.

It was a while before Arthur looked up at Merlin,looking as though somebody had slapped him."My father." He began,running a hand through his hair that was slick with sweat."He's dead."


	8. Funeral And Coronation

**I didn't expect it to be this long again. I thought it was really short when I was typing it out in Word.**

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><p>King Uther suffered cardiac arrest - and although Gaius,his most trusted physicist,tried all he could to opress the situation - he couldn't change the outcome that led to the death of the king. None were to blame: nature had taken it's toll.<p>

News of Uther's death spread across the village like wildfire,and everyone formed around the castle's courtyard to pay their respect with their heads held high as they awaited for prince Arthur to make an appearance after his father's funeral. The air was tense,and solemn as the villagers remained quiet. There were no street venders to vend,and no usual bustle of noise when the villagers went about their day. The death of their king was sudden and none expected it,but they all stopped what they were doing to silently give their respect.

The day was neither miserable,or plain - yet the sun had grown stronger and cast a brilliant light across the castle; the sky,cloudless.

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><p>Merlin helped Arthur sit down as the prince took in the information. His manservant could do nothing but remain silent as he allowed for Arthur to compose himself,if anything.<p>

"Merlin." Arthur quietly said after a while,looking up at his manservant who looked at him back.

"Yes?" Merlin replied,calmly.

"I don't think I'm ready to be king." Arthur explained,looking out of the window and across at the spires on the other side of the castle.

"Nonsense." Merlin said,shaking his head."Arthur,you're going to be a _great_ king. So many people think so." He commented,pausing for a moment,before continuing."Nobody could wish for a better king. People will be cheering you this evening." He smiled softly after he said that.

Arthur stared at Merlin for a few moments,before speaking."You think so?" He asked,standing up from his chair,his hand remaining on the back of it as he looked back out the window. The sun was still bright and Arthur was reminded how the sun became brighter when the sorceress was defeated - as though the heavy atmosphere had lifted and everything was alright.

To Arthur,he found that most things were alright after Merlin awoke through the enchantment. But,now - now that his father had died,it felt like the heavy atmosphere had come crashing back down on him.

There was only a silver lining to the blonde when he felt Merlin place a hand on his shoulder gently. That action alone gave him a small hope that things were going to be alright.

"You've definitely proved it to me." Merlin responded,keeping his eyes on Arthur for a moment before looking out the window where he saw a sea of people surrounding the castle,all looking up at the balcony that over-looked the village.

Arthur turned his head to look at Merlin.

"Arthur,I _know _you're going to be a great king. Sure, we didn't get on too well at the start - we were forced to be together,but over the years,I got to know the real Arthur that only few have such a privilege. And the Arthur I got to know is brave,courageous and most of all: justified." He explained.

Merlin had so much more to say about the prince he came to love,and see the other side of. To explain how he appreciated all those times when Arthur would have his back and give him a fair judgement,and _trust him. _All those times when he could have a normal conversation that nobody else could have,and actually enjoy being around the prince,no matter how many times he bossed him around.

Although,it was the secrecy that Merlin hated the most. It was torture to hide who he really was,even when he was comfortable with Arthur. To hide his feelings and magic made situations difficult,and Merlin sometimes wished desperately to reveal who he was. And now his pain and suffering was long gone with his prince accepting the fact that his normally distracted manservant had magic within him - and although Uther had taught his son that magic was strictly evil - Arthur still accepted Merlin without a second thought.

Merlin could tell that Arthur was to become a magnificent,and justified king.

"And I'm glad to be serving under you." Merlin added,in all honesty. He really was glad to be the manservant of Arthur and,

_his lover._

Arthur smiled lightly as he turned to face Merlin,his hands reaching up to cup his cheeks."Thank you,Merlin." He replied."_Thank you." _

Arthur was looking at his year-long manservant and found that everything w_as _alright. As he stared at those bright blue eyes in front of him,he saw the one person that would remain by his side forever,through thick and thin as he had done so many times before. He nearly lost his one and only other half,but the brightness in those eyes told the prince that he had Merlin finally; to lose him would mean losing a piece of himself. The piece of himself that kept on fighting and came out victorious through bad situations,all from the reassurance from his manservant and the solid promise that Arthur would live another day to see the goofy smile that Merlin behold.

Arthur smiled as he pressed his lips against Merlin's for a few moments,before pulling away afterwards.

Merlin smiled at him,before saying lightly: "And one of my duties is to dress you - which is what we need to do for what's coming next." He was referring to the funeral,and Arthur nodded.

"I know." Arthur replied,sadness in his eyes as he made his way over to the dressing screen.

Merlin went over to the drawers and picked out Arthur's finest outfit that he usually wore at special occasions ,or when he went to visit other kingdoms. The red jacket that Merlin was polishing before was taken out,along with black pants and a burgundy cape with black clasps at the front.

The prince was dressed in no time and Merlin set about sorting the collar on the red jacket,brushing it down with his hands afterwards when he finished. Merlin stepped back and examined his work."You're all set." He said when he found everything to be perfect.

"I wish I was,Merlin." Arthur commented,making Merlin shake his head and sigh.

"Everything's going to be alright." Merlin replied,reaching forward to shift the cape slightly so that it was centre on his prince's collarbone.

Arthur reached up and grasped Merlin's hand,stopping him from adjusting the cape."I hope so." He replied,releasing Merlin's hand and making for the door,followed by Merlin.

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><p>King Uther was bestowed upon a finely polished wooden table that was set on the dais in the throne room; the royal chairs had been put aside especially. His resting place was adorned with flowers that were picked by Morgana from her garden,picking out only the most beautiful flowers and the most healthy; colours of red and yellow for the Pendragon emblem,and white for the purity of his soul into the afterlife. The table had been lain with a red silken cloth that brushed against the dais below,the edges trimmed with gold silk.<p>

Uther was dressed in his best royal attire: a red tunic,accompanied by a finely tailored brown leather vest. A black cape was tied around his shoulders,trimmed with gold and had two gold brooches at the front that clasped together to form a full circle in the middle. He wore black breeches and boots that were buckled with silver. His crown had been set aside next to him. His arms had been crossed over his chest and in his hands in the middle,he gripped the sword he used in battles and wars; glistening silver and crystalized with red rubies on the hilt he was holding. Besides him,up on the wall,the Pendragon banner had been raised in all it's glory.

The throne room was joined by knights who all had their helmets off and pressed against their chests as they stood near their king,set in a line. These knights were the king's most trusted and worthy of defending Camelot. Some had been around longer than others,but they all did their bit to defend Camelot and protect the king.

Gaius was there,also,taking place near the front besides the line of knights. Gaius had been with King Uther for many years and was trusted to cure Uther's villagers - which he did with honour and kindness. Many people have survived under Gaius's treatment and watchful eye,entrusting their lives with the king's only,and forever more healer that lived up to his expectations.

Morgana was stood on the other side of the line of knights in her most beautiful dress that she hardly wore,and she dipped her head slightly as she became deep in thought. She knew Uther was ill,but she didn't expect the tragic ending. She knew the king had a tough mask just like his son,but deep inside,Mogana knew he had a kind heart and was only strict to maintain oder in his kingdom and to protect his son - and herself. She thanked him for the roof he gave over her,and the treatment she received.

The doors to the throne room opened and all the knights turned to see prince Arthur make his way over to them. The knights moved aside for him,creating a pathway towards his father,which he took with gradual steps.

Merlin took place besides Gaius who acknowledged him with a small nod,before looking back at Arthur who was now on the daius and stood besides his father's resting place. The room was silent as they all gave repect to Arthur,giving him time to take in the sight that befall him.

After a few minutes,Arthur finally turned around to face all the knights."This is a sad day for us all. For Camelot." He began,his mask placing firmly as his posture was straight and his eyes turned dull. But,Merlin could tell that his prince was torn inside."Your king; my father - fate has taken it's place,and taken away a great man. There is no-one to blame for his death." He then looked at Gaius,who stood up straight the best his old back could allow him."Gaius." He began.

Gaius gave a small nod."Yes,sire."

"You are not to blame for my father's peril. I know you did all you could to save him - you are a great healer,and you shall remain as that as long as I reign. Your treatments have saved many people,and you are truly appreciated in Camelot." He commented.

Gaius smiled,nodding his head again."Thank you,sire. I will continue to work my hardest." He commented,and Arthur nodded.

The blonde turned back to the knights,looking at each one as he spoke."Men. You have all done well to defend Camelot and protect my father,and you all shall remain knights as long as I reign. You have all shown bravery and patriotism for this kingdom."

The knights nodded and some bowed as their future king thanked them in his own way. One knight spoke up near the back: "_It's been an honour to serve your father,sire. He was a great man." _All the knights agreed and a cheer errupted.

Arthur breathed in,his head held high as the cheer errupted. A small smile played on his lips when another knight spoke up:

"_And so shall another take his place. To the future king!" _

The knights shouted in agreement and started to chant,'_to the future king,'_. The throne room was enveloped in chanting and cheers,and Arthur allowed them to continue for a few minutes before he signaled for them to quieten down.

"Thank you. I appreciate your support." Arthur said,his eyes trailing over to Merlin's for a moment who was smiling up at him. He saw how Merlin's mouth formed words,which displayed,'_I told you.' _

After that,the funeral went accordingly with each knight stepping up to see their late king; to bid him farewell,and a safe journey to the afterlife. The funeral took atleast an hour with each knight taking different times to pay their respects.

Gaius stepped up onto the dais and clasped his hands in front of him as he looked at Uther's closed eyes. Gaius gave a small nod."I will remain as loyal to your son as I have to you,sire." He said,quietly,before allowing Morgana to go next.

Morgana looked at Uther for a moment,sadness in her eyes as she examined his bold features."You had a kind heart,Uther." She whispered,taking a white flower from near her and placing it in between his hands,leaning down and placing a light kiss on his cheek before moving away to join Gaius.

Although Merlin was a manservant and had no reason to be at the kings funeral,Arthur still allowed him to say a few words,which Merlin took graciously. He stepped up,breathing in deeply as he looked down at Uther."You should be proud,sire." He began,pausing for a moment as he took in how surreal it was to be talking to the king without true permission."Arthur's going to make you proud." He said,low enough so that nobody could hear. He took a few minutes before stepping down from the dais and towards Gaius.

Everyone in the room was too busy saying their respects to notice the young warlock talking to Gaius."I need to go." Merlin said,his eyes flicking briefly over to Arthur who was looking at him.

"Where to,Merlin?" Gaius asked."You can't possibly miss the retreatment of the king." He mentioned,referring to the part where Uther was to be covered with another cloth and carried towards the burial ground,made especially for him,where he was to be buried in a place that nobody could find themselves wandering into. Only his son was to be given that privilege and whomever he should bring.

"I have questions to ask,and answers to be given." Merlin offered,then secretly made his way out of the throne room,disturbing none the wiser. Gaius shook his head,and simply blamed the adventurous mind of the young boy that led him to make rash decisions.

Arthur made his way over to Gaius."Gaius,where is Merlin off to?" He asked.

"I don't know,sire." Gaius replied,shaking his head again."Sometimes.." He broke off,sighing.

"Yes." Arthur said."Sometimes." He repeated,knowing exactly how Gaius was feeling. _Sometimes_,Merlin was idiotic. _Sometimes_,Merlin was brave. _Sometimes,_Merlin was unbelievable.

_Sometimes; the only word that could pin-point his love._

It was a short while before the burial ceremony began and everyone had progressed outside,whilst four knights remained inside to bring Uther out to the burial ground. The day was still warm and sunny and everyone formed a circle around the previously dug sight in the ground; a perfect rectangle that had a grand headstone at the head of it,which had been made many years ago as requested by the king himself,should his misfortune arrive early and there wasn't time to create a perfect headstone.

The headstone was as tall as any man and held a statue that was the shape of the Pendragon feature; a grand dragon that had it's head held high up to the heavens and it's claws drawn up,with it's tail curled around it's hind legs.

On the headstone below on a silver plaque,it bore his name in gold and his date of birth - and recently added - his date of death. Under those titles,there was a small elegy etched in gold:

'_The remarkable king of Camelot,and a loving father who gave great loyalty to his kingdom.'_

The four knights that remained inside soon came out,each holding the corners of the table and making their way steadily towards their king's final resting place. Everyone moved out of the way to make a straight line for the knights to come through.

The knights made it to the grave and collected up the corners of the cloth,ready to lift the king up and lower him down into the ground. They waited for Arthur's command,looking over at him as he made it towards the foot of the grave. Everyone stared at him as he reached out and retrieved his father's crown,holding it as dear as somebody would a diamond,before nodding his head and watching as his father's body was lowered into the ground carefully.

Gaius made it to Arthur's side and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder,"You're very brave,sire." He said,quiet enough that only the prince could hear. Arthur remained quiet as his father's body was soon out of sight,the knights successfully resting his body at the bottom,wrapped in the silken cloth that was on the table.

Arthur then looked over at Gaius,"I have to be." He replied,passing the crown over to Gaius,who took it carefully."For everyone." He added,before making his way back into the throne room,and explaining to nobody where he was off to.

* * *

><p>Merlin made his way down the hallways at the same time that Uther was being carried out from the throne room. He made it down the steps that led onto concrete steps where he would ask questions. Though,to his knowledge,he knew he wouldn't get a straight forward answer and he would go on guessing until something actually happened for it to make sense.<p>

There were two things he needed to discuss with the dragon as he made his way down the flight of concrete stairs with a torch to his aid,flickering red and orange light across the cold stone walls. It was always cold down here,the more he progressed further downwards to the open cavern that now sent a deeper chill down his spine,how he remembered entering the cavern with Laurence.

Merlin came out of the stairway and was about to shout for the dragon,but stopped when he realized the almighty beast was already there,right in his face,which made the young warlock step back in suprise at encountering the grand face of the dragon,who's eyes shimmered with amusement. The dragon gave a short laugh and blew air into Merlin's face - blowing out the torch along the way - ,finding it amusing to see the shock on the male's face.

"I thought I would be seeing you,young warlock." The dragon spoke,drawing back to clutch onto a stalagmite and give Merlin space to walk forward.

Merlin groaned as he was in complete darkness from the dragon extinguishing the flame on his torch."That's right,_laugh." _He muttered,about to descend up the stairs again to relight the torch when the dragon drew a deep breath and suddenly breathed out flames towards the young warlock. Merlin stepped back quickly,but the dragon only intended to relight his torch,which he successfully managed to do as Merlin could see properly now as the colours flickered back to life.

A noise from up the stairs alerted the young warlock and he quickly looked up them - yet he saw nothing. He frowned lightly,then dismissed it once the dragon started talking again.

"You came down here for a reason." The dragon inquired,tilting his head to the right as he waited for Merlin to speak.

"Yes," Merlin began,holding his torch up high to see the dragon's face again,which was stern."Yes - I need answers. I need you to tell me I'm right when I say that you knew this was going to happen,didn't you? You knew that Uther was going to die,didn't you?" He asked,hoping that the dragon - for once - would give him a straight answer,and not another riddle. To his surprise,the dragon answered back bluntly.

"Yes,I did." The dragon spoke,giving a low grumble at the back of his throat as he straightened up his posture and looked up at the gaping hole in the cavern above,where the sunlight streamed down and onto the metallic wings of the dragon.

"And what about this riddle you gave me?" Merlin asked." '_With a new path,comes danger. With new danger,comes a path.' _I don't understand. Just tell me." He added,growing frustrated. He was usually able to solve the dragon's riddles,but the past few days had been too muddled for him to think - and the fact that he was under an enchantment most of the time.

"You shall soon see,young warlock." The dragon purred,drawing back down to Merlin's level and looking him dead in the eye."But for now,it seems we have company." He drawled,grinning as he retreated back and,upon opening his wings,flew up in a straight line to disappear into a North cavern.

"I've waited too long to be accepted,and when I am,you still say there's more to come!" Merlin shouted back after the dragon mentioned he should '_soon see'._ "Surely this is the end?" He asked,then went quiet when the dragon mentioned they had company.

"I always do wonder where you get off to when you're not at Gaius's." The person behind him said.

* * *

><p>Arthur searched everywhere for Merlin,taking him to every room inside the castle. He couldn't think of where to find him,so he started to ask the manservants and maidservants that were lingering around the hallways. Most of them couldn't give him answers,but a few told him that they spotted his manservant walking about the hallways to the South of the castle,past the prison cells.<p>

So,Arthur quickly made his way in the direction he was told and found himself being taken down a flight of stairs,leading to another flight of stairs downwards. There was a table and a few chairs on the first level,where he guessed guards must have rested on protecting what was down the stairs.

Arthur only knew so much about what was down the flight of stairs,but he never went down them to experience it,since his father always told him not to. _It isn't worth it,_he would say. But,now,his son had the only option to go down them,since he was certain it was the last place to check within the castle.

He knew there was the option of Merlin being around the village,but the blonde wasn't ready to go outside where all the villagers waited patiently. He had only a small time,since he knew he would have to deliver a speech about his upcoming coronation to becoming king,and taking his father's place. Arthur had barely an idea on what to say,but he had one important thing that he needed to say,and that was at the top of his list. He told nobody what that thing was,so he could imagine the reactions from everyone.

He just hoped it was that of good,not bad.

There was a flame hold to his right,which Arthur took some of the flames to a dry torch he found near the entrance. His pathway was instantly lit up and he descended downwards,but stopped when he heard talking.

_'...you,young warlock..' _He couldn't hear the conversation properly,but as soon as he heard the title,he knew Merlin was part of the conversation and he walked on further.

'_That's right,_laugh.' Arthur heard Merlin reply,which only concluded his theory. Arthur then saw Merlin coming towards him and he was about to make his way up the stairs again,when he felt a massive wave of heat descend up the stairs,along with a great mass of light. The prince's torch blew out from the force of the heat,and he was delved into darkness,yet he didn't care - something had happened and Merlin was there. The heat didn't deem good,and Arthur quickly made his way down the stairs with only Merlin's safety on his mind.

As he made his way down the stairs,he managed to drop his dead torch,which clanged to the stone stairs. There was silence after that,until Arthur noticed a light coming near the bottom of the stairs. The blonde pressed himself against the wall - for he knew that eavesdropping was bad if a person got caught - and watched as Merlin appeared in his line of vision,yet he could not sigh a relief for the sake of not getting caught.

Merlin soon disappeared again and Arthur waited a few more moments,before making his way down the dark steps,careful not to fall down them as he trailed the cold walls with his hand to guide him. He could hear Merlin talking again,but with whom,the prince didn't know.

Arthur stopped at the bottom step when he heard Merlin mention his father,and how this other person knew that he was going to pass away. The blonde was intrigued by now as he listened to the conversation - from his father's death,up to a riddle. This was when he decided to take the last step and reveal himself to the two.

What he didn't expect was for the other person to be,in fact,a dragon that instantly met his eyes and mentioned to Merlin he had company,before grinning at Arthur and flying upwards. Getting over the surprise,Arthur decided to speak up.

"I always do wonder where you get off to when you're not at Gaius's." He said,walking towards Merlin and stopping besides him,just as the male turned to face him.

"Arthur." Merlin addressed him,flicking his eyes upwards to see whether the dragon was still there,which he was not."I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly." He apologized.

Arthur shook his head,before looking up the cavern."I see you had more important things to attend to,Merlin." He commented,nodding towards the cavern the dragon flew into."Is there anything else you have hidden from me?" He asked.

Merlin shook his head and looked away from the blonde."No,nothing else." He answered,truthfully.

"Is this dragon your friend?" Arthur asked,softly. He didn't want to believe that his father would be cruel enough to do this,but the shackles leading up to the cavern above made him think otherwise and he didn't know whether to feel angry,or sad for his father's doing. Not at the day of his death.

Loud laughter echoed throughout the large cave as the dragon made his way out of the North cavern and spiraled downwards,keeping himself up in the air with the beat of his wings as he stared down at the two."Why,your majesty,Merlin has been my responsibility since day one of him arriving at Camelot and meeting the likes of y_ou!" _He explained,laughing again afterwards.

Arthur frowned and took a step forward."Who is the one in the bad end of this situation,_dragon." _Arthur shouted back,but was only met with the grin of the scaly beast.

"_A-ha." _The dragon breathed,resting on the stalagmite again and drawing forward,pushing back Arthur with his nose lightly."The king speaks the truth,Merlin." He said,flicking his eyes over to the other male."Yet,I see something in his eyes." He drawled,shoving his nose against the young warlock's chest and breathing a laugh.

Merlin batted the dragon away with his hand and frowned."Are you going to give me another riddle to solve?" He asked,hoping that he wasn't. He already had one to figure out.

The dragon shook his head."No,young warlock." He answered tiredly,his wings flattening against his back and his head dipping slightly - it was as though the dragon was curling up."There will be no more riddles for quite a long time." He commented,and Merlin saw how hagged the dragon looked.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked,feeling a small dread. The dragon never sounded tired,but right now,he sounded like he was giving up the ghost. Although it would give peace to the young warlock,the dragon was more or less the only help he ever received during his time in Camelot.

Then,the dragon's eyes seemed to grow brighter as he looked over at Arthur with soft features."Your majesty." He addressed,and Arthur stared at him,hard. He still wasn't over the rude remark from before,but he listened for Merlin's sake."Take good care of Merlin...and _do what you have to do_." His voice was lowered as he stared into the blonde's eyes,which widened slightly as Arthur found a connection to the dragon. The dragon knew his plan.

"I will." Arthur replied,staring into the massive eyes of the dragon,before he opened up his wings and flew back up to the North cavern.

Merlin was left with unanswered questions again,and no clue on what just happened between the prince and the dragon.

"Come along,Merlin." Arthur said,placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder and guiding him back up the stairs."I can't get crowned without you in the room." For his coronation had been set quicker than he could speak it.

* * *

><p>The time had gone quickly; an hour had passed during the talk with the dragon and the throne room had been set up especially for the coronation of prince Arthur. The room was adorned with banners of the Pendragon emblem and the throne was placed back on the dais where Arthur would be taking a seat after his crowning.<p>

A red carpet was lain down the pathway towards the throne,where the knights from before formed a line and awaited their new king. It seemed that everything was running quickly,yet a new king had to be coronated for a kingdom couldn't wait a week,in case something should befall and they had no king to their advantage. The king was the highest of rankings - and although Arthur was a prince - the situation would not be taken seriously if he wasn't king,and the ties would be broken.

Arthur stood behind the doors that would reveal to him the throne room should he go through,feeling a small rise of nervousness as he stared at the wood in front of him. Everything was happening too fast and he had only begun to feel the dread of it all as he reached out to grab the brass handles on the door,ready to open it and begin his coronation.

Merlin stood besides him,looking over at Arthur."You can do it." Merlin reassured,giving his prince a smile that gave Arthur new found courage,pushing forward to open up the doors to reveal the throne room and the knights that all looked over at him. They all watched as Arthur made his way towards the throne where he saw Morgana stood on the dais,his father's crown in her hand and a smile on her face as he drew nearer to her.

Merlin gave the blonde a small smile before going to join Gaius,who was standing on the side of the dais with his hands clasped in front of him. He acknowledged Merlin,before paying attention to Morgana and Arthur.

Arthur made it in front of Morgana,kneeling down as he awaited his crowning. His heart was pounding in his ears as he stared down at the carpet below his knees.

_This was a new beginning,shining through a tragic end._

"Arthur Pendragon." Morgana began,holding out the crown in front of her,directly over the blonde's head. She looked down at the future king and continued."You are taking on the role of your father,Uther Pendragon,to be the king of Camelot. To be as loyal and great as he was; to take responsibility into your hands,and to protect your people and make decisions that could determine Camelot's future." She explained,lowering the crown whilst she continued.

"Arthur Pendragon - do you take on the role as king of Camelot?" She asked,pausing to hear Arthur's answer.

Arthur closed his eyes as he listened to Morgana speaking. It still felt surreal."I do." He answered,opening his eyes just as Morgana placed his father's crown on his head firmly.

"Then,rise,King Arthur." Morgana finished off,smiling widely and moving to the side as Arthur rose and made his way over to the throne,sitting down in it and facing the line of knights that all remained quiet for a moment,before breaking out into a round of cheers.

"_All hail King Arthur!" _The knights chanted,their cheers echoing around the throne room. The men then started clapping,the throne room a midst of laughter and merriment for their new king.

"_Woo!" _Merlin yowled,clapping along with the knights and grinning wide when Arthur looked over to him with a wide smile. Merlin could feel his excitement bubbling up in his chest as he saw the smile on Arthur's face - it was the most genuine smile that Merlin ever saw. That anyone would ever see."_All hail King Arthur!" _Merlin joined in the chant,looking over at the knights who were smiling.

Merlin heard Gaius whisper,'_such a deserving king.' _besides him and he thoroughly agreed. He spotted Morgana on the other side of the dais,a smile spread across her face as she stared up at Arthur who was now stood up from his throne and began to descend across the red carpet,earning pats on the backs along the way as he made towards the door,where he would make his way for the balcony to address his newly appointed kingdom and his villagers,who had been waiting patiently.

Merlin followed after him,alongside Morgana who gave him a slight brush against his shoulder as she looked over at him."I'm glad you two came to your senses." She commented,laughing afterwards when Merlin's cheeks shown colour.

They followed Arthur out onto the balcony,where they were met with a great noise of cheering and general happiness that shattered Camelot's quietness from before. The villagers were clapping as they stared up at their new king - smiles lighting up their faces as they praised Arthur,chanting the knight's chant of '_all hail King Arthur!' _that sounded harmonious and fit perfectly together.

Arthur placed his hands on the balcony wall and looked out over his villagers,his face soft yet stern as he took in their praises and approval for their new king. Merlin was right: people _were _cheering him. He looked over at the young warlock who was looking back at him with a smile that melted the king's heart - it was a proud smile. Arthur breathed in deeply before looking back at his villagers,indicating for quiet,which they all obliged to and Camelot was,once again,plundered into silence.

"As you all know." Arthur began,staring at the sea of faces that looked up in anticipation."I am your new king - and I have taken the role without a moment's hesitation." He explained."There are many things I have to say to you all,but I wish to address a certain topic." He said,pausing for a moment as he looked over at Merlin,beckoning him forward.

Merlin was stunned for a moment as he stared back at Arthur,but when the blonde smiled at him,he began to move forward towards him,keeping his eyes on Arthur as he didn't want to face the villagers. He knew there would be people he knew down there. Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder and made him turn to face the crowd.

"My father had many rules." Arthur began,squeezing Merlin's shoulder gently."There are rules that he made to protect Camelot,but for some of them,I disagreed. Yet,I could take no action,and for that I am apologizing. There was a certain rule of his that you all know too well,and have suffered the consequences of." His eyes wandered over to the people he knew who suffered the consenquences of the rule he was referring to; it tore families apart,and caused permanent pain to some people as they watched their child,sibling or even parents suffer under the rule.

"The rule of magic." Arthur spoke,and everyone was deathly silent at the word. Arthur watched as the people that were effected all looked down - yet he hadn't intended to bring back up the painful memories. He felt Merlin tense up under his hand and he looked over at him."We all know that magic is banned.." He said,watching as Merlin looked at him. Arthur could see the pain in his love's eyes and he fought the urge to kiss that pain away.

"...but,from now on,I am lifting the ban and allowing magic in Camelot. Forever." He concluded and saw how Merlin's eyes lit up,then shimmered as tears formed at the bottom of his eyes. Merlin quickly wiped them away and grinned his same old goofy grin that made the king smile.

"_Thank you,Arthur_." Merlin choked out,placing his hand over Arthur's hand that was on his shoulder."Thank you so much." He added,releasing Arthur's hand and smiling again.

He now knew what the dragon's riddle was.

_The new path was Laurence's offer; the danger was the encounter with Nimueh; and that danger made Arthur realize the truth behind Merlin,concluding in the new path:_

**_The lifting of the ban on magic._**

Camelot was once again errupted into noise as the villagers agreed to Arthur's decision. Some were clapping again,whilst others were sobbing with joy - the ones that had remained quiet from the fact that they held magic. There was continuous amount of jovial chatter that strung out through the day,even after the king's speech,until the day after.

"I have one more thing to attend to before I allow the day to continue normally." Arthur spoke,once the villagers had quietened down."Do not be alarmed by what is to happen next." He commented,before nodding over to a few guards down below,situated near separate doors to the left of the castle."Please form a path." He instructed,and the villagers near the door spread out to make a wide path,their eyes glued to the doors,intrigued.

Morgana stepped forward next to Merlin,curiously. Arthur had told her nothing of this and she was just as intrigued as the faces below. Merlin stared down as well."Arthur,what have you got planned?" Morgana asked,briefly looking at the blonde.

"To mark the occasion." Arthur offered only,keeping an unreadable expression as he looked down at the recently formed path.

A great clanging noise from behind the doors alerted everyone and they started to whisper amongst each other - the ones near the door moving back further as the guards opened up the doors slowly. Inside,it was completely dark and the guards went inside,seeming to disappear for hours as everyone waited.

Then,a selection of the villagers gasped as they took in the sight from behind the door,lumbering forward. "A dragon!" One of the villagers pointed out,and everyone started to move back,afraid.

Merlin watched as the dragon slowly made his way out into the light,which was new to him as he squinted his large eyes against the sudden brightness. Merlin could relate to that when he saw the light up ahead in the cavern,and how it stung his eyes. For a dragon that had been cooped up for so many years,it must have been a far worse experience. Merlin watched as the villagers become worried,so he decided to speak.

"Don't be afraid!" He called down,and a few people looked up at him."He wouldn't harm anyone." He reassured and to prove that point,the dragon stopped in the middle of the path and surveyed the people around him,who stared back,wide-eyed.

A young person took heed to Merlin's words and broke off from the crowd to walk up to the dragon. Another person in the crowd told him to come back,but he wouldn't listen as he stared up at the grand beast,who turned his head to stare back down. The dragon dipped his head to become eye level with the villager,who reached out to touch the nose of the beast - hesitant at first,then gently stroked the dragon's scales on his nose,which the beast allowed by standing still. The villagers all watched and began to feel at ease when the boy wasn't harmed,to only walk back into the crowd without a scratch or bite on his body.

Merlin smiled as the dragon nosed a few people gently,before looking up at him. The dragon's wings opened up carefully,avoiding conflict with the villagers,before he started to fly upwards towards the balcony. Merlin kept his eyes on the dragon and soon came face-to-face with him."How does it feel to be free again?" Merlin asked,reaching out to stroke the forehead of the dragon.

"Odd." The dragon grumbled,"But,I'll soon get used to it once I stretch my wings and explore the land. I wish to see what remains,and what has passed." He explained,looking over at Arthur."Thank you,your majesty. You're not so bad." He grinned.

Arthur smirked back at the beast."I'm sorry for my rude remark earlier on.I hope your freedom garners me forgiveness." He commented,hearing the dragon laugh loudly,booming in everyone's ribcases.

"Of course!" The dragon replied."Of course!" He repeated,before looking over at Morgana who was staring up at him the whole time."My lady,Morgana." He greeted her,dipping his head as she hesitantly reached out,gently placing her hand on the top of his nose."You have a gift like no other,and we both share the vision of the future. Keep Merlin out of trouble,will you?" He asked,and Morgana laughed.

"I think Arthur does a better job." Morgana replied,leaning forward and kissing the dragon on his nose before moving back.

"And so I should think." The dragon said,looking over at the king,then Merlin."You have figured out my riddle,young warlock?" He asked.

"Yes,I have." Merlin replied,pausing for a moment before smiling."Thank you for advising me all these years." He added.

The dragon smiled back before beating his wings and flying up towards the blue sky."_Who knew a mere manservant could fulfill his destiny!"_ The dragon shouted as he flew over the castle walls and towards the horizon,the sun reflecting off his metallic wings and casting a colourful stream across the castle.

Merlin's cheeks grew a shade deeper from the embarrassment,yet he felt happy. The dragon was right: his destiny had been fulfilled and his battle for the right of magic had been won. He hated to admit it,but he felt some of it was down to Nimueh,for if she had not have attempted to rid of him again,then Arthur wouldn't have put his life at risk,resulting in his realization of Merlin's secret.

"_It's fate_." Merlin muttered.

"Hm?" Arthur asked,looking at Merlin.

"Oh,nothing." Merlin quickly replied,smiling up at the new king - _his king._

Arthur reached out and placed his hand on the small of Merlin's back."Are you happy to be in Camelot now?" He asked.

Merlin looked out over to the villagers."Yes,Arthur. I am." He replied,honestly. And he was - he was happy to have everything slot together perfectly. He had Arthur; his trust,his happiness and his love. And the most important thing: the ban of magic lifted. It had taken pain and many years hidden to reach this day,but it was all worth it. Merlin would no longer live a life of secrecy,and would be able to show his true self in front of Arthur and everyone else.

The future for the young warlock was looking better the more he thought about it,but a thought occurred to him which struck him suddenly and he looked over at Arthur."Arthur." He spoke,quietly.

"Yes?" Arthur asked,smiling softly at him.

"You're the last Pendragon." Merlin reminded,making the blonde frown lightly.

"I do know that,Merlin." Arthur replied,looking out over the crowd below - they were still chattering away and cheering."Why do you mention that?" He asked.

Merlin remained quiet as he looked down at the balcony they were stood on. He only spoke when Arthur pressed his hand into his back gently."There can't possibly be two.." He trailed off.

Arthur looked at Merlin,hesitating as he stared at the sadness on his manservant's face. He shifted his arm around Merlin until he was able to hold his waist on the other side,their bodies pressed together."Don't be silly,Merlin." He finally spoke."Nobody can decide my decisions on who I wish to rule besides. The title of Pendragon is just a name. What's in a name,Merlin?" He explained,leaning forward to whisper his next sentence in Merlin's ear."_Besides,we shall go down in history if we twist the rules,don't you think?" _Pulling back,a light smirk played on his face as he turned his face to look out at the villagers again,missing the stunned look on Merlin's face as he stared at Arthur.

Merlin then broke out into his usual goofy grin as he stared at the blonde for a few moments,before looking out at the villagers.

_All hail King Arthur,indeed._

* * *

><p><strong>I think this is the last chapter.<strong>

**But,what do my dear readers think? Tell me in a review,or PM (private message)**

**Also,to note:**

**_Dais: _the steps - 'the stand' - which the king's throne is set upon.**


	9. Furthermore

**Holy...this is the longest chapter I have _ever _done.**

* * *

><p>It had been five years since the coronation of King Arthur,and the wide-spread uplifting of the ban on magic. And Camelot had changed for the better,with the atmosphere changing to that of peace and the long-awaited tranquility that those who obtained magic had pained to see,and those that had long-since seized to wander the earth would finally be resting in peace.<p>

The village seemed more vibrant - more w_elcoming _- than it had when the inhabitants lived in fear for the consequences. And although they resume to respect the late King Uther,they soon adjusted to the new changes that his son brought forth; and with imminent,rewarding happiness that swept across the village.

Today,though,everyone was in great cheer,for it was the anniversary since the lift of the ban of magic,and all the villagers were busy preparing festivities that would be held in the village itself; from glorious food,to sorcery displays that was run by Merlin himself.

Merlin was the head sorcerer in all of Camelot,and the most wisest when it came down to teaching about magic - with side help from Gaius,nevertheless,who remained the healer that Uther had appointed over thirty years ago. He was growing hagged,but he kept strong-willed and resumed his research on medicines,learning new things along the way that benefited Camelot.

The young warlock - though not so young as he was - had taught many beginners in magic,including the Lady Morgana,who grew intrigued ever since she first used the powder that Gaius gave her. Merlin taught her the basic spells,until she eventually came to be classed as a sorceress,but also a prophet,as she used her foreshadowing dreams to help Camelot.

Merlin was busy pacing the fields behind the castle,where the open space was perfect for his lessons today. He had ten students to teach today,and they were all beginners. The students were spread out from different kingdoms,all traveling to Camelot to be taught by the greatest teacher of all. Some of Merlin's students had gone on to roam in battles,using their magic to defeat the enemy and aid the knights of Camelot. For this,Merlin was most proud.

"Alright." Merlin spoke up once he stopped pacing,stopping in front of a young male who looked like a rabbit who was being hunted. Merlin stepped back and beckoned the male forward,who did so with tentative steps.

"I'm sorry." The young male said as he followed Merlin,who brought him in front of the rest of the students.

Merlin shook his head."It's alright,Owen. Really,it's fine." He added when he saw the nervous look on Owen's face."It takes practice not to blow a hole in the battlements." He tried to reassure.

Merlin had been teaching the students about the element of fire; the practical side of it. And so far,four of his students had managed to blow holes into the battlements that were stood on the field near the castle. Owen was by far the worst,but Merlin knew how hard it was to control elements,especially if that person is a beginner and has never come close to controlling any of the four elements.

"Just take a deep breath and try to concentrate on creating a spiral of fire." Merlin explained,nodding towards Owen who took a deep breath in."And remember to pronounce fire clearly - _in-cen-dee-a. _Not _in-cen-die-a." _He explained,before stepping out the way for Owen to perform the incantation.

Owen nodded and took a step forward,closing his eyes briefly before opening them,revealing fool's gold eyes. He then extended his arm,his hand open wide,before shouting."_Ventus incendia!" _A sudden gust of heat exploded and in front of Owen,a few metres ahead,a spiral of fire gradually produced from the ground and began to move across the field,towards the battlements.

Just as Arthur was walking around the castle,since he wanted to speak to Merlin."Thought I'd find you here,dear." He spoke,then noticed the small tornado shaped fire creeping towards him. "What the hell is tha-" He was cut off as he had to quickly dodge to the left when the spiral fire gained speed and went full-force towards the King,missing him by an inch before extinguishing with another gust of heat.

"I'm so sorry,sire!" Owen called out as Arthur collected himself,looking over at the culprit with a none too amused face,sighing loudly. Owen looked sheepishly at him,embarrassed.

"That's perfectly alright." Arthur replied back,brushing down his cape that gathered ash from the fire when it extinguished."Just be more careful next time." He added,before making his way over to Merlin who was trying not to laugh."And you,stop laughing." He commented,pouting lightly as he stood besides Merlin.

That was all it took for Merlin to start laughing out loud,soon joined by a few chuckles from the students who were trying their hardest not to mock the King. But,to them,King Arthur was collective and was easy to get along with,yet they knew he was strict at the same time,and many people knew what lines not to cross with him when they addressed him,or talked with him.

Merlin soon called for silence from his students when Arthur shoved his shoulder lightly,making him stop laughing."Sorry." Merlin said,smiling."It was just the look on your face." He added,before clearing his throat when Arthur was staring at him with a displeased look."So,what brings you to my tragic lessons?" Merlin asked,looking over at Owen who was muttering the incantation,forcing himself to remember the correct pronunciation of fire.

"Well." Arthur began,clasping his hands behind his back and standing up straight."Do you know what today is?" He asked.

Merlin thought for a moment."Eh..I think it's the seventh day,Arthur." He replied,staring back at his lover with a too-innocent look that indicated to Arthur that he was,actually,being serious with his answer.

Arthur ran a hand through his blonde hair,groaning lightly."No,_Merlin." _He said,resisting the urge to grin."You of all people should know what today is. Today is the time when I allowed magic - surely you remember now. You're in the council meeting,remember." He explained,raising an eyebrow as he looked at Merlin,thinning his lips slightly.

Merlin looked like he'd gotten shocked by electricity as he stared back at the blonde."Oh - oh,yeah!" He said,having an odd feeling of de ja vu from the time when he forgot to get water from the pump to wash Arthur's armour for the sword tournament. But,those were memories that were buried deep,since they brought on the events that happened afterwards.

Though,those memories were always fresh whenever the anniversary came around,since it reminded both of why this anniversary came forth in the first place; which they aptly named '_The Red Dahlia'_ - a story that was told to children about their king and his reasons for reviving magic in Camelot.

Merlin was used to children coming up to him and asking him about that time,even though he always told them that it wasn't that old and was only five years. Still,they took an interest,and Merlin was happy about that,since they were more intrigued about the fighting side of it all,rather than the fact that Arthur was in love with a male - not to mention his once mere manservant that he thought idiotic.

There was more to the story than Merlin told to the children,but he kept those bits out - he decided it would be better when they were old enough to understand.

Merlin didn't realize he had a blush and a grin on his face until Arthur waved a hand in front of his face,bringing him back to reality."Ah,so there _is _somebody in there." Arthur commented,chuckling.

Merlin looked away,smiling."I was just thinking back." He explained,but not fully explaining _what _he was thinking about,since he was already too embarrassed.

Arthur nodded his head."I see." He said,before placing a hand around Merlin's waist and leaning in,whispering in his ear."_Were you thinking about the time I deflowe-" _

"Right,everyone!" Merlin called out,cutting off Arthur's sentence that Merlin knew exactly what he was going to say. The students looked over at their teacher."I think we're done here. I'm letting you all go early since it's a special day." He explained,and all the students cheered before running off towards the path that led into the village.

"Don't just go saying things like that." Merlin said as he made his way over to where his students were stood before,picking up the cloths they used before-hand to blindfold each student when they performed spells without the aid of vision.

Arthur helped Merlin pick up the blindfolds."You w_ere _thinking about that time." He said,watching as Merlin rolled his eyes and muttered a few incantations to restore the battlements to their original form,which took a while with the amount of damage struck upon them. Merlin then felt Arthur's arm slide around his stomach from behind him,and the blonde's chin resting on his left shoulder - the hair on his chin tickling the warlock's neck,making him grin wide - before kissing Merlin on his neck gently."In front of your students,as well." He tutted,humming against Merlin's skin.

Merlin lent back against Arthur,grinning."You brought it on,your _Majesty." _He commented,before turning around to face the blonde,and was about to kiss him when somebody spoke up from near them.

"Um..sir?" It was Owen and he was staring at Merlin,embarrassed again for wandering into an obviously intimate moment between the King and Merlin.

Merlin departed from Arthur's arms,turning his expression to serious as he faced Owen."Yes,Owen?" He asked.

Owen fumbled with his words."I..um,I was wondering if I could take part in the displays tonight?" He asked,flicking his eyes over to Arthur briefly.

Merlin cringed mentally; Owen wasn't the best,and he could imagine the chaos that would entail,but Merlin was a fair warlock and he believed that anything could be achieved if somebody continued to try,try and try again. It was evidence to Merlin,after all the years he stayed by Arthur's side as his manservant,living a secret that was bottled inside of him - yet he fought for the day that he would be a free sorcerer.

"Alright." Merlin said,smiling softly."But,don't let me down." He added,pointing a finger at his student,who was smiling wide.

"I won't!" Owen replied."Thank you,sir." He added,smiling over at Arthur who nodded his head and smiled back,before Owen dashed off.

"That was embarrassing." Merlin commented,staring over at Arthur who only shrugged it off.

"It was simply a display of affection,Merlin." Arthur explained,walking alongside Merlin as they made their way back inside the castle perimeter and towards the main quarters of the castle."I see no problem with that." He added,nodding to the guards at the doors who nodded back and allowed them to pass into the arched hallways that lead towards the throne room.

Arthur was holding a council meeting on the preparations for tonight's festivities,which - he thought - was the most boring part about being King,for you had to sort all the minor details out and make sure your kingdom was running smoothly. Either way - as it had always been when he was prince - he had Merlin along with him,and he always knew how to take the boredom out of the meetings. Now,though,it was Arthur giving the commands,so it wasn't as easy for Merlin to bring entertainment.

"Yes,but you're not going to be the one teaching that person who experienced the display of affection,unwillingly." Merlin explained,knowing full well how awkward teaching Owen would be from now on. He would not be able to take it seriously.

Arthur simply smirked before walking into the throne room where knights were gathered,along with Morgana and Gwen. Gwen smiled at Merlin as he went over to join her.

Gwen became a fine seamstress and soon earned enough to wear the prettiest of dresses. It was all down to Arthur that her popularity grew with recommendations,with princesses and ladies all wanting to have dresses made by her hand. Merlin was glad that things turned out well for his friend,since she went through tough times and deserved a light through the darkness. He smiled back at her as he joined her side.

Gwen learned about Merlin and Arthur after the King's speech when Merlin went to go find her,to express his joy about the allowance of magic. Gwen told of how she noticed the closeness of the two up on the balcony,and Merlin could not simply hide the obvious signs,and so he told her. She was expectedly surprised,but adjusted to it soon after and supported Merlin for the future.

Merlin noticed that Gwen was still smiling at him,even when he joined her side. He gave her a funny look."What?" He asked.

Gwen averted her gaze."Oh,nothing." She casually said,her eyes flicking over to Arthur,who was frowning lightly and shaking his head. Gwen mouthed,'_sorry' _to him,confusing Merlin even more.

Merlin looked over at Arthur,who spotted his gaze and instantly looked away."Am I missing something here?" Merlin asked Gwen.

"No - nothing,Merlin." Gwen replied,shaking her head and smiling lightly."I mean,there is something. But,it's not..relevant right now." She tried to explain,before clearing her throat and looking back at Arthur,who was ready to begin the council meeting.

"Good,or bad?" Merlin asked,curiosity getting ahold of him.

Gwen was about to answer when Arthur started talking."_I can't tell you_." She whispered,remaining quiet afterwards.

Arthur stood upon the dais with his hands placed firmly on his hips as he addressed the people in the room. Merlin paid his attention to him,thinking how regal he looked right now; his royal attire,his father's crown upon his head,and how bold his face had gotten over the years. What surprised Merlin the most was how majestic Arthur looked when he decided to grow the hair on his chin; though,Merlin secretly preferred the fresh face of Arthur,since that never tickled the warlock's skin whenever the blonde kissed him.

Merlin could see how regal Arthur was right now,as he stood with his head held high and his eyes sharp._A true King._

"As you all know,we're holding festivities for the allowance of magic." Arthur began."I should think you know what happens now,so I shall keep it brief." He added.

Arthur then explained what was to happen and when,and who was taking part in certain things. There were suggestions thrown back and forth between the king and the knights,until everyone finally settled situations.

The main festivities were to begin mid-noon,then progress towards the small feast held for the villagers in the main square of the village (with the royals and the King having a feast inside) - then towards the night would be the sorcery display,which Merlind decided upon,since the magic would be better displayed at night where the colours would show up better.

"Gwen,may I have a word outside?" Arthur asked after the meeting,making his way over to the two. He smiled softly over at Merlin.

"Um,alright." Gwen replied,following Arthur outside the throne room with a quick glance at Merlin.

Morgana made her way over to Merlin after talking to a knight,joining his side and watching as the two exited the room."So,Merlin,how have lessons gone recently?" She asked,looking over at him."I heard you had a little trouble with one student in particular."

"Owen?" Merlin asked,and Morgana nodded."You'll be pleased to know he will be helping me with the display tonight." He explained,seeing Morgana's expression drop.

"Should we have buckets of water at the ready?" Morgana asked,laughing afterwards,followed by Merlin lightly.

"We will have to see." Merlin commented.

"Yes - we most certainly will." Morgana drawled,a small smile on her lips.

Merlin noticed."Is Arthur planning something behind my back?" He asked,bluntly,to which Morgana only shrugged and walked away to talk to some more knights about their ideas on the festivities. Merlin sighed and exited the throne room.

He stopped in the hallways when he heard Gwen and Arthur talking around the bend to the right,which his mind told him to eavesdrop on; he use to do it all the time when he was a manservant,especially the times when somebody shifty came into play in Camelot,and he dared to know more about them.

"_...are you able to keep quiet until the feast,Gwen?" _Arthur's voice sang louder as Merlin approached the bend,listening into the conversation as he remained hidden behind the wall.

"But,Arthur." Gwen replied back."It will be mean to keep Merlin in the dark for that long." She explained."You should do it now."

"_No_." Arthur refused."I want it to be in front of everyone,since I do not wish to do the arduous job of telling individual people afterwards. That is,if he..accepts." He explained,and Merlin could hear how Arthur paused towards the end,the uncertancy visible in his tone.

"He _will_ accept!" Gwen said,and Merlin could hear her clasp her hands together."If he didn't,then - then he would have made that evidence by now. It's been _five years_,Arthur." She reassured.

Merlin heard shuffling coming from besides him and he quickly looked,only to be met with Gaius walking up to him,grasping a staff in his right hand so that he remained balanced."Ah,Merlin." Gaius greeted,but stopped talking when Merlin shook his head quickly,for the old man had greeted him too loudly and had alerted the two around the bend."_Merlin?" _The warlock heard Arthur's voice as he appeared around the bend,followed by Gwen.

"Did I come at a wrong time,then?" Gaius asked,looking between the trio.

Gwen excused herself,deciding to get out of the awkward conversation to come by coming up with the excuse of 'work she had to do',even though Merlin knew perfectly well that she had no dresses to make at the moment,nor to be at Morgana's aid.

"No,Gaius." Merlin said,quietly,before looking over at Arthur."I was just leaving." He added,before going in same direction as Gwen.

"_Merlin,_wait." Arthur said,but his lover didn't look back as he disappeared out of sight down the hallway.

Gaius watched as Merlin left,before facing his King."Am I right to assume that you have not told him yet,sire?" He asked,for Gaius had the same problem as Gwen at keeping Merlin in the dark.

Gaius was the last to know about Merlin and Arthur,yet the first,mentally. For,the healer knew the feelings of the boys before anyone else could recognize,and he had no problem with it at all. Although,he did interrogate Merlin and forewarn him about problems they may face with the public that disagreed with such priorities - yet he only reassured the boy that love conquers hate,and that he should not worry about what the public may speak.

Arthur shook his head."And I fear that I am leaving it too late." He explained,but Gaius only shook his head.

"Good things come to those who wait,sire." Gaius advised,patting the blonde on his shoulder briefly."But,for now,you should enjoy today." He added.

"Yes." Arthur replied."I suppose so."

* * *

><p>Merlin decided to walk around the village,watching as the villagers put up colourful banners on their homes and set up stalls in the main square,where the venders would be selling goods,along with food. There were decorations being strung from cords across the houses,of colours that were from the Pendragon emblem,along with the dragon image.<p>

Children were mostly running around and having fun,helping their parents with the decorations and anything else they could handle. A small group of children spotted the warlock and ran up to him,one of them grasping his hand.

Merlin smiled at them."Are you having fun?" He asked them,finding himself being pulled forward by them past a row of huts that lead towards the blacksmiths.

"Yeah!" One of the girls answered,the one who was grasping Merlin's hand."My mum is baking strawberry tarts for the afternoon." She explained,sounding excited.

At the mention of the girl's mother,Merlin's thoughts turned to his own. He hadn't seen her for over a year,since he had been wound up with helping Arthur with being King. It was more difficult than it was when the royal prat was prince,and he was his manservant. Merlin hadn't realized the full extent of the work that went behind ruling Camelot,though he knew it would be hard - he just didn't expect it to be extremely,pain-stakingly hard.

Merlin needn't feel too nostalgic as he had invited his mother along earlier before,after sending a messenger to inform her. He had the reply of 'yes',and so would be seeing her in the evening.

The children that surrounded him had stopped outside the blacksmith,and the heat that came from the furnace brought Merlin's attention."What are we doing here?" Merlin asked,looking down at the children then back up at the humble man that approached him. He recognized him as Gwen's father,and so knew him well.

Tom smiled at Merlin,befoe saying his thank you's to the children who dashed off."Couldn't leave my post." Tom explained for the use of the children.

"Ah." Merlin said simply."What am I doing here again?" He asked,spreading his hands as he looked at Tom with a confused expression.

"I just need to get your size." Tom explained,nodding to Merlin's hand.

"My..hand size?" Merlin asked,staring down at his hands."Why would you need that?"

Tom laughed as he put down the poker he was holding,wiping his hands on his apron that was already covered in grime,before beckoning for Merlin's hand."Not your hand size,Merlin." He said,laughing again. "Your ring size." He explained,taking Merlin's hand when the male extended it. Tom picked up a set of round metals,all different sizes and with different numbers etched into them.

Merlin groaned."Not you too." He said,jolting slightly at the coldness of the round metals that were individually tried on his left hand finger."I prefer my right hand,Tom." He said,extending his right hand instead,but Tom waved it away.

"Not today you won't." Tom commented,smiling as he finished with the sizing. He released Merlin's hand and placed the correct sized metal on a hook.

"And what does that mean?" Merlin asked,examining his left hand and frowning.

"I'm only the practical side of Arthur's plans." Tom explained,giving no more information as he picked up the poker he was holding before,walking over to the furnace and pushing across the coals to retrieve a horse shoe that he was busy sculpting before.

Tom had become as successful as Gwen,also. His blacksmith skills brought him to be making armour for other knights and princes in other kingdoms,with his normal tasks of supplying King Arthur's on top of it all. It was all down to recommendations from Arthur again.

Merlin thinned his lips. '_So Arthur _is _planning something.' _He thought,before saying good-bye to Tom and walking back through the village.

Merlin couldn't stop looking down at his left hand as he made his way to the fields,where a selection of other sorcerers were helping with the setting up of the display. There were a few structures being put up,along with seats for the villagers and royals that were being placed around the structures. Most of it was completed and the workers gave it a quick once-over before concluding it finished. Merlin talked to a few of the sorcerers,explaining the plans for the display and the recent council meeting.

"Has Gwen made the outfits?" One socerer asked as he made his way over to Merlin."I think it's nice of her to make the outfits in her free time." He added.

"Yes,she has,though I have yet to see them." Merlin replied."And yes - she's a great seamstress,so I am certain that the outfits will be great." He commented,whilst helping the sorcerer with the royals' chairs,which were placed on a higher stand to the back where they could see over the seated villagers and get the best view. They were lifting a grand chair made from oak,with engraved patterns in the arms and a set in cushion on the seat. Merlin guessed this seat was for Arthur.

"I bet." The sorcerer said,grinning lightly as he set the chair down with Merlin's help.

They then began placing a few more chairs,such for Lady Morgana and Gaius,along with Gwen and Tom - for Arthur had invited them to sit with him during the display. Merlin suggested Hunith sit with them,also,yet his mother refused politely and said she would rather prefer watching from the guidelines. "I'm guessing you won't be needing a chair,since you are in the display." The sorcerer commented,laughing afterwards.

Merlin smiled lightly."No,I will not be needing a chair." He agreed.

"So,how are things going?" The other male asked as he brushed down the chairs. Merlin knew he was referring to himself and Arthur.

"Fine - great,in fact." Merlin replied,finishing off his sentence suddenly and helping with the brushing down,having not noticed the stare of the other male.

"You sound uncertain,Merlin." He pointed out.

Merlin shook his head,but gave up trying to hide the obvious uncertainty he was displaying."There is something going on behind my back,as though Arthur is planning something,yet he isn't telling. Even my friends are secretive." He explained,standing up staight and placing his hands on his waist.

The sorcerer nodded his head and stood up straight,also."Maybe he is hiding it for a good reason,Merlin. And if your friends are hiding it as well,it musn't be that bad. They would not allow him to do something bad that involved you,would they?" He theorized.

"I suppose you're right." Merlin sighed - he had not thought about that. Gwen wouldn't allow a secret that was bad to be hidden from him,especially involving Arthur. And Morgana wouldn't allow there to be disruption between the boys' relationship.

"I would not worry about it too much." The sorcerer added,then excused himself to see if there was anything else needing to be done.

* * *

><p>The day had gone quickly,and soon it was mid-noon,with the sun climbing across to the East gradually. With the evening came the noise; talking,laughter,and the usual noises that a person may experience when stumbling through great merriment from festivities. It was the most liveliness that Camelot had seen for over thirty years.<p>

In the village,it was a mass of colours from the decorations,and no villager was left out in the festivities; they all joined in,and the usual workers - blacksmiths,seamstresses,tanners,shoemakers and the lot - had the day off to join in,also. Though,the bakers chose to contribute to the anniversary in the making of the feast that was to come; cakes,pies and other delights.

On the field behind the castle - to the side of the set-up for the sorcery display - there was the commencing of Jousting,which was run by the knights. It was a friendly competition,and no real reward was won,as it was only put on show for the villagers who were all stood in the make-shift stands. This would continue until the sorcery display,to make up the time in the middle. At the end of each round,the villagers were even allowed to go up to the knights to commend them and stroke their horses.

Everyone was friendly to each other on this day,as they always were since the beginning of the anniversaries for the past five years.

There had been brought forth performers from another kingdom,such as dancers who put on a show in the castle's courtyard where they were surrounded by the villagers,all watching and enjoying themselves. A Troubadour was directing the dancers with his music,stood to the side and singing a song that had everyone in great cheer,for his song was about _'The Red Dahlia'. _

With the Troubadour and the dancers came the Jongleur,who was involved in the dancing whilst performing acrobatic choreographs that added to the special performance.

Arthur was stood on the balcony - leaning against it - ,watching the dancers and smiling lightly. He was glad that his villagers were enjoying themselves - which was evidence when he walked through the village at one point and got encouraging comments about how he was a wonderful king,and that they were having fun with today.

A loud cheer erupted suddenly and Arthur wondered what made them cheer so,when he spotted his love walking across the courtyard,only to be stopped by a few villagers. "_Wahey,Merlin!" _The Jongleur bellowed,"_Come and have a dance!" _He added,beckoning the warlock over.

Merlin waved his hands in front of him."_No - no,thank you." _He replied,shaking his head."_I'm not very good at dancing." _He added,laughing nervously.

The Jongleur was having none of it and linked his arm with the warlock,forcing him into a spin. Merlin was spun around,until he was linked with one of the dancers and the Jongleur let go of him. He was soon being involved in the chain of dancers and was made to do all sorts of movements that would leave any person embarrassed,yet Merlin soon found himself becoming engrossed and ended up grinning like a fool and joining in the dancing,willingly.

"_That's the spirit,Merlin!" _The Troubadour commented,before kicking into another song and beginning his music again.

Arthur watched Merlin and couldn't help the smirk on his face,especially when he heard the warlock's laughter echoing across the courtyard,joined in with the villagers laughter. Arthur chuckled himself.

"Sire?" A voice behind him said,and Arthur looked to see the messenger he sent for."You wanted me to send a message?"

"Yes." Arthur began."Could you ask Tom the blacksmith whether he has finished the work I set him - and if he has,bring it to me." He explained.

"Certainly,your Majesty." The messenger replied,bowing,before making his way into the village to deliver the message. It would be another half hour before the messenger returned with a medium-sized,rectangle wooden box with deep engravings on the lid which were laced with gold. Arthur took the box and opened it,inspecting the contents inside before smiling.

"Tell him I am deeply grateful." Arthur said to the messenger,and the male bowed again before making the journey back. Arthur closed the lid of the box before looking back out at the courtyards,seeing Merlin saying his good-byes to the dancers before making it towards the hallways below Arthur.

The King took no time in making his way from the balcony,down to the hallways where Merlin had entered. He hadn't spoken to him for a few hours,and Arthur wanted to break the silence between them; to apologize for the secrecy,though he expected that Merlin wouldn't be liable to speak to him at the moment.

Arthur spotted his warlock walking down the hallway,and decided to follow after him. The hallway led past the kitchens,then the feast hall,until a stairway eventually led up to the second level of hallways where Arthur's chambers were. The path was taken many times during the five years,mostly due to their intimate moments; and so both knew the route very well. Merlin seemed intent in getting to Arthur's chambers,and the blonde simply followed him without speaking.

Merlin unlocked Arthur's chambers,since it was always locked whenever the King was away,and entered the room without closing the door behind him. Arthur made his way over to the door,but not too close for Merlin to see him. He watched as Merlin gave a quick look over to the door,before going over to a cabinet to the side of the room that was always locked. Arthur knew exactly what was in the cabinet.

The warlock unlocked the cabinet and took out a glass display box,setting it down on the set of drawers near Arthur's bed. Inside the box was a black vase with the red dahlia in it; fresh,and alive,for Merlin placed a spell on the flower that preserved it for the years that passed. He withdrew the dahlia and held it in his palm.

Arthur watched as Merlin spoke something,which he only heard snippets of,'.._.ostendo...preteritus', _before he felt an odd pull from the centre of his rib-cage,and a small pounding on the side of his head. Arthur reached up and held the side of his head,cringing slightly.

He had felt this before,everytime the anniversary came,yet he never knew why. And now he found it came down to Merlin as he watched his lover's eyes turn to the fool's gold colour,and his hand grip the dahlia's stem firmly. Something was happening to the warlock and Arthur quickly made it towards Merlin,ignoring the ever-growing pounding against his temple. "Merlin?" He asked,reaching out to touch the male's shoulder.

But,as he did,his chambers started to shift and become a pattern of wavelengths that made everything look as though it was spinning. The door to his chambers shifted shape,becoming a stone opening that had a brilliant,white light shining through it.

Arthur tried to speak Merlin's name again,but another sentence came out instead,yet he had not moved his lips. "_Get back.." _His voice sounded urgent,even when he didn't intend to speak the sentence. He had simply wished to call out to Merlin,yet his lover was nowhere to be seen by now as his chambers turned cold and a great cavern replaced it.

'_No..' _Arthur thought as he recognized his surroundings. It was the cavern from five years ago,when both he and Morgana set out to save his manservant.'_Merlin - stop this!' _He tried calling out,yet another sentence he did not speak replaced his intended words.

"_I want you to go on,find Merlin and cure him." _

Morgana's voice broke through next,"_I can't just leave you to die." _

Something washed over Arthur as the next sentence he spoke echoed,"_Yes,you can.." _A feeling of warmth swept across his chest,yet he did not remember feeling this way on the day. This was the feelings of somebody else - not of Morgana - but of Merlin."_Please." _Arthur's voice said again,with which the King felt another warmth across his chest as he listened to himself speak at that time.

'_Merlin.' _Arthur tried again,trying to get through to the warlock,though he was invisible. '_Please,stop this. Why are you torturing yourself so?' _He asked,for he wondered why Merlin would relive the past again. It was a dark time for both of them,but it hurt Arthur the most to relive the day where he nearly lost his other half.

The visions carried on through the killing of Laurence,towards the part where Arthur discovered Morgana hovering over Merlin's lifeless body. The King couldn't bare this any longer and begged for Merlin to stop the visions and to bring them both back to reality.

It seemed to work as Arthur felt his breath drawn out of him suddenly,and the room assemble itself back to his chambers. Everything was set back as it was,acting as though nothing had happened to it.

Arthur stumbled backwards,regaining his breath as he swallowed thickly. His heart was beating fast as he stared as Merlin changed his eyes back to his normal colour,and closed his eyes briefly,collecting himself. Arthur felt a great sadness draw over him from reliving the day - something he had only meant to celebrate today for Merlin being alive;he had not meant it to be a celebration that brought back the thorough memories.

"_I'm sorry." _Merlin whispered,dropping the dahlia next to him and holding his head in his hands as he looked down,the tears welling up in his eyes. He had not meant for Arthur to get involved in his secret ceremony of his own."I'm so sorry,Arthur." He added,looking up at the blonde,the search for forgiveness in his shimmering eyes.

Arthur wasted no time in sitting down next to Merlin and collecting him in his arms,holding him close and hushing him.

"_I never intended to get you involved_." Merlin choked against the blonde's chest.

"Do stop crying,Merlin." Arthur said,calmly."I would be able to hear you better,then." He commented,placing a hand under Merlin's chin and lifting it up so they were staring at each other."Come now,get rid of the tears." He said,and Merlin quickly wiped his eyes with the palm of his hands."Now,tell me what that was all about." Arthur said,keeping a level-head to calm down Merlin.

Merlin picked up the red dahlia and placed it back in the black vase,before closing the lid of the glass box."This will be the last time,I promise you." Merlin spoke.

"First, tell me why you do such a thing to yourself." Arthur said,keeping his hold on the warlock as he listened to Merlin's answer.

"I do it every anniversary." Merlin began explaining,his eyes now dry from the soothing voice of Arthur's."I go back to that day,from your point of view. I do it to see.." He trailed off,looking down at the floor.

"To see,Merlin?" Arthur encouraged.

"To see how caring you were." Merlin continued,quietly."To know exactly what happened that day." He explained,looking back up at Arthur."It makes me happy to see the lengths you went through for me." He added.

'_For all the times that I went through lengths for you.' _Merlin thought,thinking about the times when he would save Arthur's life,only to be seen as an idiot by the went through everything for his prince when he was a manservant,yet Arthur would spare him no gratitude,which only made Merlin's secret of sorcery more difficult to tell.

There were small times when Arthur would thank him in his own way,but it never changed his opinion on Merlin. And so,Merlin would go back to that day and see how Arthur went through difficult lengths to save him - and it made him happy that for once,Arthur appreciated the full extent of Merlin's help after giving a blind eye to it.

Arthur lent down and kissed the top of Merlin's head gently."Don't torture yourself anymore,Merlin." He said."I don't want that day haunting us forever. We may speak the events,but it would be best to keep the imagery well hidden in the past."

Merlin nodded."Can we keep the dahlia,though?" He asked,looking over at the flower that was still vibrant in colour.

"Yes." Arthur replied,releasing Merlin and taking the glass display box back toward the cabinet,where he placed it inside and closed the door of the cabinet."But,it will stay inside the box." He commented,before locking the cabinet.

"Of course." Merlin replied,standing up and making his way over to the King."I'm sorry again - for bringing back the painful memories."

Arthur turned around to face Merlin,his arms sliding around the warlock's waist as he did so."Let us just forget this whole incident,and enjoy the rest of the day." He commented,thinking back to how Gaius told him to enjoy the day and not to worry."After all,I think it is time to head to the feast hall." He added.

"You best not turn out to be one of those Kings that eat alot." Merlin commented,puffing out his cheeks to emphasise his point.

Arthur was none too impressed at that comment and reached up to squash Merlin's cheeks,earning a wave of air sent his way as Merlin blew out."And so what if I did,Merlin?" He asked,raising an eyebrow.

"If you do," Merlin began."I won't be lying on my back,in fear of you crushing me to death." He concluded,before kissing Arthur on the lips quickly and making his way out of the room.

Arthur frowned lightly,having not understood the comment at first. When he did,a small hint of colour grew on his cheeks and he called after the warlock."_Now that's hardly appropriate,Merlin!"_

* * *

><p>The feast hall was finely decorated,with the Pendragon banners along the walls and draperies of a rich burgundy colour. Yet,the most magnificent scene was the feast table itself.<p>

The table ran the length of the room,with the royals' table at the end where King Arthur would be seated,alongside Merlin and Lady Morgana. On the table was the red silken cloth again,with sets of candelabra's at each interval of the table that had candles burning brightly orange and yellow. The finest,crystal glasses were set at each seats where the knights,royals from respected kingdoms,and guests would be sitting. Each was set with correct utensils,and gleaming clean plates that the manservants and maidservants worked hard at perfecting,along with the other necessities for the feast.

The room was already filled with people,all chatting away and awaiting the arrival of King Arthur and his company. When he arrived,they all greeted him along with Merlin and Lady Morgana as they were seated. That was when the feast began and the manservant and maidservants set to work in serving the food,setting the delights on the table and providing drinks to each guest.

Merlin remembered having to do that himself whenever he was called upon in serving the royals. It seemed strange,and he had the strong urge to get up,grab a pitcher of wine and start setting to work in making sure everyone's glasses were full. He didn't want to abuse his power,so he only had a few glasses of wine as not to boast in front of the others that he used to work alongside. Still,they greeted him with a smile and he would engage in conversation with them,as he did when he was a manservant himself.

He may have changed his status,but he had not changed his attitude.

Whilst Merlin was busy talking to a maidservant,Arthur looked down at his lap where he had placed the engraved box from before. Morgana caught onto this."Is that it?" She asked,looking up at Arthur,curiously.

Arthur looked over at Merlin,before nodding at Morgana."It is." He replied,passing the box over to her."Have a look and tell me what you think." He instructed and watched as Morgana opened the box carefully.

"It's beautiful,Arthur." Morgana commented,staring down at the object in the box."Tom made this?" She asked,closing the box and passing it back to the blonde.

"Yes,he did." Arthur said,covering up the box with the cloth on the table.

"Be sure to give him praise. It truly is the craftmenship of a professional." Morgana commented,picking up her glass of wine and taking a sip,which Arthur mirrored."And do try and calm your nerves,Arthur." Morgana said,smirking around her glass.

Arthur looked up at everyone sat around the table in front of his. They were all eating and talking to much to not notice that their King was watching them.

On the table,there were many different sorts of meat that were displayed generously,alongside bread and other light meals that were taken care of quickly by the hungry guests. Arthur had eaten quite a lot,but he narrowed that down to nerves,although he guessed that Merlin would comment on his appetite later on,as he had done before-hand.

He looked over at Merlin and saw how little he had eaten - but he knew that the warlock wasn't a big eater,and wasn't fussy when it came to food. Morgana was the same,and she had only a small portion of chicken on her plate alongside a spoonful of peas,and a small amount of boiled potatoes.

Then Morgana tapped a spoon against her glass and stood up,calling for the attention of everyone. Everyone stopped talking and looked over at her.

'_She is truly cruel.' _Arthur thought as she told everyone to kindly listen.

"Your Majesty has a few words to say,so if you would,please listen." Morgana explained,before smiling down at Arthur,who narrowed his eyes up at her."You're welcome." Morgana said,so that the blonde could only hear as she sat back down.

Arthur stood up,picking up the wooden box from his lap as he did so and holding it firmly in his hand. Morgana would have a stern word after this. He kept his confidence and straightened his posture - his regal side coming into play again as he addressed his guests."I hope you are all enjoying your meal so far." He began,which everyone picked up their glasses and nodded in gratitude."Good,I am glad." He responded to that,smiling lightly.

"It has been five years since the lifting of the ban on magic." Arthur began,looking at each guest as he spoke."And in those five years,there has been no trouble at all. There has been no evil befall us,to which we are lucky."

"My father believed that magic was evil,and I have grave to inform you that there is,indeed,evil in some magic,for I have experienced it first-hand on _The Red Dahlia_ day. But,magic is not always evil,and we have living proof of that,sitting besides me." He explained,looking over at Merlin.

"Merlin has shown me the good of magic,and that it can be trusted.I only wish that I had known sooner,for the consequences of my father's actions had caused great distress for many years - and,although I was only a prince,I would dare say that I could have tried to re-inform my father about the real side of magic." He admitted,looking back at his guests who were all listening intently.

"But,those dark times are being put behind us now,and I commend these festivities to remind us that Camelot is progressing forward,where nobody will be judged." Arthur concluded,pausing as everyone started to murmur agreements and nod. Then one of the knights started clapping,and soon everyone was joining in.

The applauding lasted a long time,until Morgana spoke:

"What is in the box,Arthur?" Morgana stated,bluntly,quite loudly that Arthur clenched his jaw. Everyone noticed that too after they stopped applauding.

Arthur breathed in deeply,addressing his guests again. This was it.

"You all know that myself and Merlin have been together for five years now,and today is also the anniversary of our relationship." Arthur began and everyone went quiet again as they listened,a few lifting their glasses again for encouragement. The King looked down at Merlin again,a soft smile on his face as he continued."He was made my manservant by my father,when he saved my life in this very hall. And we both despised each other-"

"Mostly you." Merlin interrupted and the hall was a mass of chuckles.

Arthur smirked."Yes,I wasn't very fond of the idea." He admitted,then continued once the hall was quiet again."It took us near-death experiences and difficult situations to realize that the forced companionship was a good idea,and we came to appreciate one another throughout the first year of our friendship." He explained,holding the wooden box in front of him,before continuing.

"Merlin,I admit,I didn't think much of you during that first year,and I thought you idiotic - but then I started to see a different side of you that made me realize how much I wanted you by my side,through thick and thin; to hear your advice,and see that goofy smile of yours that was always the highlight of my day,and still is." He commented,watching as a smile crept up on Merlin's face as he stared up at Arthur.

"When I nearly lost you that day,it approached me how much you mean to me,and that I would be forever hiding behind a false identity if you weren't by my side. And I am sorry for the years that you hid behind your own false identity,and I cannot begin to imagine how difficult that must have been,for I know you saw the consequences the first day you came to Camelot. I hope these five years have been as good for you as they have for me,Merlin." He said.

"They have,Arthur." Merlin replied."It was worth the wait." He added,truthfully.

Arthur smiled again."I would imagine today has been secretive." He said."With Gwen not telling you anything,nor Morgana." He mentioned,and Merlin nodded,being reminded of how Gwen wouldn't stop smiling and Morgana being mysterious about her words.

Merlin watched as Arthur knelt down on his left knee,the wooden box still set in front of him. Everyone watched intently as well,and some were even whispering to one another."Arthur?" Merlin asked,slightly confused.

"I had to wait until the feast,so that it was in front of everyone." Arthur explained,before opening the lid of the box,facing towards the warlock.

Inside,a red cushion was set inside the wooden box where a silver ring was rested on top of it. The silver ring had been made to fit Merlin's finger,which Tom had measured - with two,small silver metal leaves at the top,nestled at the side of an oval that was at the centre of the ring. The crystal was blue topaz,which was cut perfectly for the oval and fit securely. The colour was chosen to match Merlin's eyes.

Arthur waited until Merlin took in the sight of the ring,before he asked the burning question that had played in his mind all day. There was high happiness at this point in time,and the day was celebrating many things at once. But,right now,in this hall,the only celebration that was called for was the relationship of King Arthur and Merlin.

Arthur did not care for the detail of being the last Pendragon,for it was only a name - a name that had caused too much suffering in the past,and had brought great distress to those who were effected by his father's rules. The Pendragon reign may end,but King Arthur's legend will live on; for his justification,and his decision that would rack the rules that had been going strong for centuries.

_No,Arthur did not care at all,for he had the greatest reward of all. He did not need the reward of having a kingdom under his power,nor have the reward of riches. He had the reward of having somebody special by his side that had changed the history of Camelot - not the peferred history that would have befalled under his father's reign - but the history that bettered Camelot,and made it a place of sanctuary where no single person should be judged for who they are._

"Merlin - will you marry me?" Arthur asked.

The hall was plunged into silence as everyone waited for the reply from Merlin. No man,nor woman dared speak during the course of a question that could change alot for Camelot.

Merlin looked up slowly from the ring to meet Arthur's intent gaze. It seemed like a long time before the warlock finally answered,as calm as any person could be.

_Yes._

The reply seemed surreal to Arthur,and it sounded far away,until Merlin confirmed his answer.

"Yes,Arthur." Merlin said,smoothly."I will."

The hall was errupted in cheers as Arthur took the ring and gently slid it on Merlin's left hand finger,placing the wooden box on the table as Merlin leaned down and captured his lips with his. They couldn't hear themselves think from the cheering going on to the side of them,where all the guests,royals and even the manservants and maidservants all stood up and started to applaud,ignoring everyones statuses as they all joined in the fantastic support for their King's decision.

* * *

><p>It was time for the sorcery display,and the moon was beginning to show; shining brightly,and shivering streams of silver down across the field where all the villagers were sat on the seats allocated. Everyone was there; no person was absent.<p>

The feast ended in a sheer jovial atmosphere,and everyone from other kingdoms gave King Arthur and Merlin their best wishes for the future,and that they would be sure to spread the word of their engagement. It had to be the most eventful feast that Arthur ever attended. Usually the feasts with his father were dull,and even Merlin serving the drinks couldn't uplift his spirits,as the atmosphere would always be too silent and the blonde was almost afraid to show emotion during the meals.

And now the day was winding down,and Arthur took his seat that over-looked the villagers' seats below. It was a good view,and he was soon joined by Morgana,Gaius and Tom. Gwen was busy in the castle,sorting out the outfits for the sorcerers and sorceresses.

"Did Merlin like the ring,your Majesty?" Tom asked as he seated himself besides the chair his daughter would be sitting on.

"Yes." Arthur replied."You did an excellent job,Tom. Thank you." He praised,and Tom smiled,feeling satisfied at the commendment.

Inside the castle,the performers were busy changing into their outfits; navy blue hooded cloaks,with full-black outfits. They each had their faces patterned,which Gwen painted on her own,giving them each unique patterns with silver colours.

Merlin had the same attire as the other performers,except his black outfit had silver linings to draw attention to him,as he was the main sorcerer for the display. Instead of a painted face,he wore a half-mask that was silver and had carefully painted curls in black from the eye,down to the cheek part. Gwen was busy adjusting his outfit,whilst talking to him."Should I start calling you sire,now?" She asked.

Merlin chuckled,then realized Gwen was being serious."Oh,no,Gwen." He replied,shaking his head,only to be scolded off for moving."I'll still be same old Merlin to my friends." He explained,smiling.

"Have you decided a day yet?" Gwen asked,stepping back to indicate that her work was finished. She looked over at the other performers and nodded,watching as they all made their way towards the field,waiting for Merlin to begin.

"Not soon." Merlin answered."Arthur still has his King duties to attend to." He explained,lifting up his left hand in front of his face and staring at the topaz."But,he promised that we will get there."

Gwen smiled,placing her hands on her hips as she looked at the ring on Merlin's finger.

A gasp was heard from behind the warlock,and both of them looked to see the source of it. It was Hunith and she had her hand clasped over he mouth as she stared at the ring.

"Mum!" Merlin greeted,grinning wide as his mother walked over to him and took his left hand to look at the ring properly.

"_It's beautiful_." Hunith whispered,before looking at her son and smiling,pride shimmering in her eyes."Oh,_Merlin_. You have come such a long way." She commented,grasping both her sons hands lightly."I am so glad." She added,squeezing the hands she was holding.

Merlin smiled."Mum,I can't feel my hands." He said,laughing afterwards as Hunith let go,apologizing."You will be staying for the display,won't you?" He asked,knowing that the time had come to start the sorcery display,and he did not wish to keep everyone waiting.

"Of course,Merlin." Hunith replied,and Gwen decided to guide her."Show everyone the good of what you were born with." She said before following Gwen to her seat.

"I'll try." Merlin said to himself once he was alone,breathing in deeply as he began to walk towards the fields,where everyone was waiting patiently. He passed by the other performers,who stood in a line to follow after Merlin. They all smiled,or nodded at him as he made it in front of them. He watched the villagers sitting in their seats,talking to one another. And he looked up at the back of the heads of his friends,and Arthur who were sat a few metres ahead of him.

Merlin pronounced an incantation - his eyes turning golden,luminous against the night - and a cascade of golden sparks appeared in the middle of the field,where the villagers were seated around. Everyone stopped talking and watched as the golden sparks grew higher,climbing against the blackness of the sky. Merlin looked back at the others and saw their eyes turning the same golden colour as his - he nodded,before progressing forward towards the middle of the field,followed by the others who split off into separate lines near the seated villagers.

Merlin made it near the golden sparks,saying another incantation that brought forth more colours that wound itself around the funnel of golden sparks. The villagers all watched in fascination,and the royals did so also from their viewing points.

The golden sparks suddenly changed shape,and next there was a flurry of bird's wings as the sparks turned into doves that flew upwards,dispersing in every direction. There were a few gasps from the villagers as it happened.

Morgana,from her seat,watched the skies in fascination as the doves then changed back into the golden sparks,flittering down to the ground in spirals. She reached out as a spark neared her,her hand collecting the spark until it disappeared like snow on her palm. Gwen was doing the same besides her,with her mouth opened slightly as she gaped at the strange occurance.

The other performers near the villagers all extended their hands outwards,palms open and facing forward. A harmonious sound of whispered spells velveted from the performers and soon the sky was alight with colours,from each performer came different colours; mixing together,until Merlin said another spell and the colours all flurried together,creating one solution that was a light blue. The colour lit up the faces of the audience as they all stared up at it.

If it weren't for the nightsky,the light blue wouldn't have been visible,but it was clearly shown against the dark background.

Merlin waited until everyone was looking before bringing forth another spell that created a figure - a large shape,that eventually evolved into a ghostly dragon. It was a long,winding dragon that had a shimmering indigo colour to it,casting against the moonlight as it passed through the light blue,causing the colour to disintegrate suddenly. The dragon then made it's way over the seated villagers - who were all watching as it made it's journey - and towards the seated royals.

At first,it looked like the dragon would collide with them,but it skimmed past them. Gwen smiled as she watched the changing colours of the dragon's ghostly scales - changing from indigo,to blue,then to indigo again.

Morgana reached out as the dragon flew by,her hand touching nothing but cold air from the ghosted complexion of the apparition; yet,as her fingers stroked the dragon's scales,light pink showers of streaks fell.

Tom moved back in his chair slightly as the dragon passed him,unsure of whether to touch the apparition or simply watch.

Gaius chuckled and allowed the dragon to simply pass by him.

Arthur watched in fascination as the dragon passed him. He hadn't seen anything quite like it. He had seen a real dragon,but not an apparition of one; it wasn't real,yet it was perfectly capable of acting like one. The movements were swift,and Arthur caught sight of the light blue eyes of the dragon as it sent a cold chill over him when it brushed by him.

The eyes were just like Merlin's,and it caused the King to smile. He watched as the apparition then spiraled back into the night sky,before making a sudden turn for the ground where it skimmed against the grass.

"Look at that!" Morgana pointed out,and everyone saw how - when the dragon skimmed the grass - flowers had sprouted through the blades,and blossomed quickly. Everyone could see them quite clearly,even in the dark,for they were pure white and gave off a luminous light as they curved in the breeze the apparition emitted when it brushed past. The field was covered in the white flowers once the dragon flew back to the centre of it,circling around Merlin two times before suddenly disappearing into the ground.

A blunt silence grew - there was no movement from the audience,nor the performers surrounding them. It was as though the world had stood still,and time was of no avail after the dragon disappeared.

But,then - as a lightning strike bolts to the ground after an interval that was none recorded - a strong gust of wind overcame the field,spreading across the grass as a ripple may do when a stone is thrown in it's course river,sending an odd warming breeze across the faces of the audience.

An interesting thing happened at once - when the cool breeze swept across the horizon of the fields -, for a woodly smell became everyone,with the hint of heather; for at the horizon,trees had begun to grow tall and broad,with healthy green leaves and crowds of heather crawling up from the soil beneath the fully-grown roots that slithered over the ground,resting soundly. The field no longer looked like it had the atmosphere of blood-shed and loss for all the previous battles that had been experience; it now brought an essence of a new time,which Merlin had hoped it brought. For,the anniversary only came once a year,and it was a time to appreciate what Arthur had done for Camelot.

Near the archways,Owen waited for the command of his teacher,who was busy controlling the growth of the trees and the flowers that busied the field. The young student made his way towards his teacher once the warlock smiled over at him. The other performers saw Owen,and a select few made their way towards the royals.

Two sorcerers made their way to Morgana and Gwen,and offered their hand to guide them towards the centre of the field,for they were to be involved in the display, unbeknownst. "My Lady," The sorcerers greeted the two girls,extending their hands out.

Gwen blushed and took the hand of her sorcerer,looking briefly over at Morgana who was already being guided by her sorcerer.

Gaius smiled politely at the sorceress that helped him from his chair and took him to join besides the others.

A sorceress was by Tom's side,yet none was appointed to Arthur. Tom was guided by the sorceress.

"I'm afraid you are stuck with me,Arthur." A voice from besides him said - a voice he knew very well,and would for the rest of his reign.

Arthur grinned."I would not have wished for anybody better,Merlin." He responded,following his fiance as he was taken towards the centre of the field,joining the others who were being told to stand perfectly still."What have you got planned?" Arthur asked as he looked over at Merlin.

"Oh,_I can't tell you that_." Merlin teased.

"_Merlin." _Arthur drawled,knowing that this was a small revenge from the warlock for keeping him in the dark about his 'plan'.

Merlin grinned before nodding at Owen.

Arthur noticed who was going to lead the plan,and his expression dropped,remembering how this particular student nearly singed him with the spiral of fire that was sent his way. He looked over at Merlin,but his love was already away from here and stood near the other performers.

All the villagers' eyes were on the royals,remaining quiet as they waited for the next piece of the sorcery. They had enjoyed it so far,having experienced something that was not seen before,nor even written down in parchment. It was new to them,and none had thought back to the warnings of sorcery - the 'evil' of sorcery - as they were seeing a different side to it.

Owen stood near the royals' chairs,so that he was high enough to see the four people at attention - and so he would be able to perform the incantation properly. He saw how his Majesty's eyes traveled up to him - a look of disconcern. It was almost off-putting,but the smile from his teacher made him forget the look from the King.

"_Extraho bestia." _He whispered,slowly bringing his hand up as the dragon from before rose up from the ground,making it's way towards the royals.

The dragon made it's way over to Lady Morgana first,where it rose to meet her eyes. Morgana stared back at it,and felt the dragon touch her forehead with it's own. Morgana closed her eyes as it did so,for she felt a deep dragging from her chest.

"_She's glowing!" _Somebody from the audience spoke up - and he was right. Morgana had a faint glow of blue around her,surging around her body like an eletrical charge. The blue grew stronger,and a form grew behind her; a feathered form. It was another ghostly apparition,except this one was a Phoenix,of colours red and yellow and eyes of blue.

_A Phoenix for a Lady that was beautiful,yet had a fiery attitude._

The dragon then made it's way over to Gwen,who was staring at the Phoenix in amazement. She looked back at the dragon when it was infront of her. The process was taken again,yet a faint orange glow surged around her. A form also grew behind her; such like a horse,yet it was pure white and had a horn protruding from his forehead. His eyes were like citrine quartz; a soft orange. "A Unicorn." Gwen said,smiling as the Unicorn pressed his cold nose against her cheek.

_A Unicorn for a seamstress that was gentle,yet knew her ground._

The dragon was now at Gaius,where the old man nodded at it. The apparition bowed it's head back,before pressing it's forehead against Gaius's. A faint glow of white surged around him,making it look at though the moonlight was specifically spotlighting him. The form behind him was only small; another feathered form. "Ah,an Owl. I thank you kindly." Gaius spoke to the dragon as the apparition did,indeed,turn into an Owl with silver eyes.

_An Owl for a physician that was wise,and had a vast experience of palavers that he easily overcame._

Tom was up next,and was already going through the process. His faint glow was the colour of copper after the dragon had touched his forehead. The colour was efficient enough for a blacksmith and Tom smiled approvingly. His form was quite large - so large in fact,that it stood taller than he was and was burly. The form turned out to be a great Bear,standing up on his hind legs and his copper eyes soft.

_A Bear for a blacksmith that was strong,and shown great loyalty to those he loved._

Arthur watched the respected animals that were stood besides his friends,and thought them efficient. He wondered whether these animals were what Merlin thought of them as,or whether the dragon had chosen them specifically. The said creature was now facing him and he looked straight into the blue ovals - they were somewhat soothing,yet stern. Then something happened that stunned the King for a moment.

The apparition talked.

"I have wandered these grounds for over two centuries." The dragon spoke,yet it seemed that the voice was inside Arthur's mind. Whcih was evidence when a villager said,'_what's happening?' _It seemed the apparition was only speaking to the King.

"And I have never seen such a human being as yourself. You have shown loyalty,bravery and justification to Camelot - which I have not seen thus far. Yet,it was a wishful thought of mine to see the day where sorcery had a will and a way; you,your Majesty,last Pendragon of Camelot,and only son of the late Uther Pendragon - you have shown worth to my eyes by expressing your kind-heart to those who were waiting for a light in the darkness. Some more importantly than others-" His eyes looked over at Merlin."-which I am certain you have shown worth to,also. I know of your plans,and I wish the both of you the best in ruling Camelot together." He concluded,before the cold skin of the apparition touched Arthur's forehead.

A stronger glow of gold surged around the King,almost outshining the others. The form was on four legs,and Arthur knew instantly what it was by the way it stood proud. The form was a lion with golden eyes,and he looked up at the King with soft features,yet sharpness.

_A Lion for the King that was both majestic,yet fair and made the light in the darkness happen._

The dragon bowed it's head before the King,then spiralled back down underground where it had remained for the past three decades when King Uther ruled,in fear of being discovered.

* * *

><p>Midnight came and most of the villagers thanked Merlin and the performers for the sorcery display,before heading back to their homes for the next day to dawn.<p>

The anniversary was a success and everyone was left with happiness,having enjoyed the day and the relaxed atmosphere of having a day off from their usual work,or duties. It was times like these that the villagers respected King Arthur more,for he was - although they never uttered it outloud - a better king than his father ever was.

Merlin was back inside the castle,changing out of his outfit that was weighing heavily on him for he hadn't realized the display lasted for a few hours. He never knew sorcery to be such hard work.

Hunith came to talk with him afterwards,and they discussed how they had been for the past year. Merlin constantly asked his mother how his village was,and how all the people he knew were fairing. All were well. Hunith was offered the chance to live in Camelot,but she refused,explaining that she didn't want the change to come so quickly; she wanted things to stay as they were with her,as she found that she couldn't accept the offer of royalty and riches - it wasn't her way of life,but she thoroughly supported her son and often reminded him of how proud a mother she was.

"Do come and visit me." Hunith said as they hugged each other good-bye."When you're not too busy with Arthur,that is." She added,smiling,kissing her son on his left cheek and giving him another tight hug.

"I will." Merlin replied,"But,you are coming to the ceremony?" He asked.

"Of course." Hunith nodded."I would not miss my son's wedding for the world." She commented,before going along with a few knights that would ride with her back to her village.

Merlin washed the last of the paint off his face before folding the hooded cloak he wore and placing it on top of the bundle of clothes he wore.

Ever since he got together with Arthur,he no longer wore his 'manservant' clothes. He was graced with royal clothes now,much like Arthur's,deeming him more handsome and regal. Yet,the only thing that reminded him of his manservant days was the neckerchiefs he refused to take off,as he wore them with his royal attire.

Merlin yawned and stretched his body as the day tired him out. He longed to be in bed - which,for the past five years - was,in fact,Arthur's. It took a while for Merlin to adjust not sleeping in his rickety bed in Gaius's quarters with the rickety blinds. Now,it was a large,comfy bed that helped with the warlock's once aching bones,and no sunlight blinded him in the morning,for there was large curtains blocking the sun through the massive windows.

As Merlin stretched out his arms,somebody grabbed his waist and nearly made him jump halfway across the hallway in shock."_Who?" _Merlin said,turning around quickly to be met with a smirking blonde."You scared me."

"As intended." Arthur replied,the smirk on his face growing at the small success of frightening the warlock.

"That wasn't nice." Merlin commented,rubbing his sides with his hands."I could have.." He trailed off as he was about to say,'_a heart-attack' _but he knew that wasn't the correct term for somebody who had seen the effects of it.

"You put on a good display." Arthur said,having not taken mind to the trailed off sentence."The villagers seemed to enjoy it very much."

Merlin grinned at the compliment."It was nothing special." He said,shrugging.

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the warlock,before chuckling and drawing Merlin towards him."Do stop being so modest,Merlin." He said,placing a hand on Merlin's waist.

Merlin placed his hand on Arthur's forearm,drawing closer to him so their bodies were pressed together."It is not everyday that you express a compliment." He responded,amusement in his eyes.

Arthur smiled lightly,before kissing Merlin on his forehead gently."I have a favour to ask." He said,drawing back to look at Merlin again.

"Anything." Merlin said,smiling back at him.

"Could you come with me to my father's grave?" Arthur asked,averting his gaze to the floor."It is.." His sentence trailed off as Merlin placed his hand on the blonde's cheek,soothing his skin by stroking his thumb across it.

"Of course." Merlin replied."There is a lot of anniversaries,huh?" He added,earning a light chuckle from Arthur who looked back up at the future King in second.

And so,both ended up in front of the late Uther Pendragon's grave,the moon high above them for midnight was upon them and the air quiet as the kingdom slept,unbeknownst of the third anniversary of the knew that the villagers knew it was the anniversary of his father's death,but he had planned not to make it as public as it would be,since he wanted it only to be a private anniversary that was between himself and Merlin - he wanted Merlin to be there besides him as they looked down at the burial mound where the late King rested.

Merlin had his hand on Arthur's arm as the King bowed his head,silently respecting his father. The only sound was the gentle breeze that brushed past them,cooling their skin. Merlin closed his eyes and waited patiently for his fiance,as he knew not to disturb him.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked,making the warlock open his eyes to see the blonde looking at him."Could you refresh the flowers for me?" He asked,and Merlin looked down at the wilting white flowers that were surrounding Uther's grave. Merlin nodded.

"_Niteo purus." _Merlin whispered - his eye flashing gold - and the white flowers blossomed again,shining brighter than before.

"Thank you." Arthur said,and the silence fell again after that. It lasted for a good ten minutes,before Arthur spoke up again."Do you think he would approve of everything,Merlin?"

Merlin looked down at the plaque on the grave for a few moments."He would be proud of you,I am certain." He replied,smiling lightly."He may not have..approved of the magic,but if he could see the change it's made to Camelot,then surely he would see different." He explained.

Arthur looked over at Merlin again,remaining quiet for a long time before nodding."Things have moved forward now,for the better." He commented,before kissing Merlin on the lips,which the warlock had not expected. It was a sudden affection and it took him a while to register it,before he kissed Arthur back for the blonde's sake."And we are to be wed soon." Arthur mentioned,taking Merlin's hand firmly and smiling."I never thought I would say that,Merlin. You do realize that?" He added.

Merlin grinned wide."Your once idiotic manservant." He also reminded.

Arthur let out a long breath - the smile still playing on his face as he gently squeezed Merlin's hand. "Who would have thought." He simply said.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue is next,and I think you all know what it will be about.<strong>

**Also,to note:**

_**Troubadour - **_**A musician from the middle-ages,that used to sing,dance and perform music.**

_**Jongleur - **_**An acrobatic performer from the middle-ages,who also used to sing and dance and would work ****alongside the Troubadour.**

**Hey,I bet you're learning new terms from me,aren't you? Haha. You now know what a 'Dais','Troubadour',and 'Jongleur' is.**


	10. Epilogue

**Here it is; the epilogue.**

* * *

><p><em> Council meeting. <em>Those two words instantly made the King bored as he sat down on his throne,watching as earlier appointed advisers and knights entered the room and stood in front of him,bowing in respect. It was all the same to the blonde and he dismissed the formalities with a sigh.

He had only called for a council meeting as he wanted the day to run smoothly for the marriage of himself and Merlin in the evening. Preparations had been made a month before: appointed priest for the customary side; Gwen tailoring the outfits for Arthur and Merlin,with Arthur's already done and Merlin currently being fitted; decorations for the throne room for the ceremony; the second crown for Merlin,which was to be given by Arthur himself after their tying of the knot; and plenty other preparations that had earned itself the blood,sweat and tears of the whole kingdom. It had been a long time since a marriage was set in Camelot,and everyone did their best to make it worth while.

However,as Arthur explained how thankful he was for everyone's efforts in the making of this day,he began to notice one adviser becoming agitated after a while. This had him distracted for a fraction,yet he continued to explain the details of the day and how all advisers,knights,royals and guests from neighbouring kingdoms would be invited for the wedding which was to be held in this very throne room.

Soon enough,Arthur began to be drawn towards the agitated adviser again who had his jaw clenched lightly as though he tried to refrain from uttering words at his disposal. Arthur stopped his explaining."You there." He said,looking straight at the adviser who's eyes widened briefly."Do you have something to say?"

The adviser flicked his eyes over to the other advisers who were giving him warning stares."You see,sire.." The adviser began,stepping forward slightly."I beg for an opinion on this marriage."

Arthur sat up in his throne properly,his hands resting on the armrests of the wood as he nodded at the adviser."Go ahead. You are an adviser,after all." He allowed.

"Well,your Majesty." The adviser spoke,trying to maintain a strong voice as he faced his King."I shan't think to make this marriage..._known." _He began,noticing how Arthur's expression shifted into something unreadable as he listened."To other kingdoms,I mean. You see,sire - not many people think highly of your kind."

Arthur frowned."I beg your pardon?" He asked."My _kind? _Do go on; e_xplain." _He near threatened as he kept a frown on his features.

If the adviser wasn't already nervous,he definitely was now as he cleared his throat,noticing how everyone was now staring at him."Two men are not meant to marry,your Majesty. And you have the Pendragon reign to continue,yet Merlin cannot conceive-" The adviser's explanation was cut off as Arthur stood up from his throne,making his way towards the male.

"You do not approve?" Arthur asked - _gritted through his teeth - _as he stood in front of the adviser. A few knights shifted uncomfortably,moving forward towards the King in case of an outbreak.

The adviser breathed in deeply before straightening his back,facing up to the King."I am only commenting on what may benefit your Majesty. As I said,two men are not meant to marry,as it goes against morals. And the kingdom may look poor if it is ruled by two Kings-" Once again,his sentence was cut off as Arthur's anger erupted.

"_Poor?" _The blonde shouted strongly,making everyone in the room jump slightly as they hadn't expected their King to shout so loudly."_How dare you utter such words._ Nothing in your opinion should benefit me!" He shouted again and a few knights moved besides him,ready to act. However,the blonde continued to shout at the adviser who remained standing tall - he began to become cocky,and simply stared back at the King."My kingdom is benefiting under the teachings of my partner,my _lover, my future husband. _" He hissed each words and a knight placed his hand on the King's shoulder to steady him.

"Call him how you wish,sire." The advisor replied,suddenly gaining new confidence in finding a new way to destroy the confidence in the King that the marriage will do good."But,he will always remain a mere peasant. Of no royal blood,nor _dignity. _This act you are commiting yourself to will end yourself in _disgrace." _He explained,another adviser placing a hand on his shoulder.

This seemed to hit Arthur hard as he gritted his teeth,his jaw clenching tightly. _If looks could kill._

"_Get out." _Arthur seethed,trying to keep his voice low,battling against the hatred that was building for the man in front of him.

The next sentence that followed from the adviser had everyone in shock:

"_Your father would feel ashamed." _

Arthur's expression dropped and the room fell silent,if not for a fraction of a second,before the volume of the King's voice broke the silence and the knights had to pull him back in fear of him attacking the adviser.

"_YOU DARE BRING MY FATHER INTO THIS." _Arthur barked,his index finger pointing sharply at the adviser the best he could,for he was being restrained by two knights by his side,holding both his shoulders back as he screamed at the male who was being dragged out of the room by the other advisers."_NEVER SET FOOT IN CAMELOT AGAIN!" _He said as he locked eyes with the adviser,who simply kept a straight face as he was led out the room.

Morgana came running into the throne room a short while afterwards,concern washed over her face as she looked over at Arthur,who was still being refrained as he vented out his anger by shouting threats,even when the adviser had long-since left the room. The knights began to get worried by their King's anger and was relieved when the Lady Morgana took over,forcefully making Arthur sit on the throne.

"Arthur,what happened?" Morgana asked once Arthur began to calm down,his hand clutching the armrest as he stared ahead of him. Morgana looked over at everyone."You can all go now. Do not speak of this; give your King a peace of mind." She explained,and everyone eventually left the room,leaving their Majesty to calm."Is it the stress of today?" Morgana asked,referring to the upcoming ceremony of tying the knot.

"He did not approve of the marriage,Morgana." Arthur explained,frowning."And he dared to insult Merlin in front of me." He added,gripping the armrest as he remembered the words the male uttered.

Morgana sighed and closed her hand around Arthur's."Anger solves nothing,neither does violence. He has been sent away now,so you needn't worry." She explained,smiling softly."Arthur,you need to know that you will meet those who disapprove of this ceremony further on in the future,but you shouldn't let that get in the way." She advised.

"Where is Merlin?" Arthur asked,finally looking over at Morgana,though he still held scorn in his expression.

"Merlin is busy being fitted for his attire for the ceremony." Morgana explained,taking her hand off Arthur's as the blonde stood up."I think it is best that you calm down before you face him. If you remember,he is also getting married,and I am certain that he would not want to get involved in distress." She explained as Arthur made his way to the archway leading out of the throne room.

Arthur stopped walking and sighed."Ignorance is bliss,Morgana." He simply said,before disappearing to the right hallway,heading towards the chambers where Gwen was admitted to begin tailoring the outfits.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ow!" <em>Merlin said as Gwen accidentally jabbed him with the needle she was threading through his jacket. The warlock was currently being fitted for his outfit for when the ceremony of being married to Arthur would arrive - a new,royal outfit that would also be worn for the coronation of him becoming the King in second,ruling besides the blonde. The coronation was to come after the wedding.

"Stop moving about." Gwen commented as she tried again to sew the jacket to fit around the skinny waist of Merlin's."It is only the jacket left,and then I can let you go." She added. Yet,a knock on the door stopped the fitting as she stood up - leaving Merlin with a half-finished jacket and thread hanging down his side with a needle - making her way towards the door to see who it was."Who is it?" She asked.

"_Arthur_." The voice replied. Gwen looked back at Merlin and motioned with her hand for him to hide behind the dressing screen. After all,she did not want Arthur to see the creation until the actual ceremony.

"Come in." Gwen said,opening the door when Merlin was out of sight. Sure enough,the King was stood there with an odd expression set on his face. Gwen smiled at him and allowed him to pass.

"I thought Merlin was with you?" Arthur asked,looking around the room and seeing no sign of his warlock.

"Oh..eh,no." Gwen replied,walking over to her work table and collecting a few cloths into a pile,along with sewing thread and needles."He has yet to arrive for the fitting." She lied,closing a book secretly that contained Merlin's measurements.

"Do you know where he is,then?" Arthur's patience seemed to be running out,and both Gwen and Merlin noted that in his tone."There is something important I wish to discuss with him." He added,and the seamstress also noticed how he paced the room,his gaze neither on her or anywhere above the floor level. He seemed almost shaken.

"Is something the matter,sire?" Gwen asked,her eyes wandering over to Merlin's reflection in the windows near the dressing screen.

Arthur took off the crown upon his head and set it down on Gwen's working table,before running a hand through his recently cut hair. He stopped pacing the room and lent against a chair,folding his arms across his chest and remaining staring down at the ground."Gwen,I have a question to ask,and I would appreciate an honest - a truthful - answer." Arthur explained as he looked up at Gwen briefly.

Merlin listened from behind the dressing screen,deciding to sit down as there was something bothering Arthur,and it might take a long time. He felt the needle jab into his side as he sat down,and he bit down on his bottom lip so he wouldn't cry out and alert his attention.

"Of course,Arthur." Gwen replied,worry visible on her serene face.

Arthur thought it safe to express his opinions now that he knew Merlin wasn't in the room. As Morgana had rightly said: Merlin did not need such worry today,since there were more important things on his mind.

"Do you approve of mine and Merlin's marriage?" The blonde asked,his hand reaching over to take his crown and rotate it between his hands. The crown had been passed down for centuries,yet it remained with it's golden sheen by careful mind of the King's before,and the hands of their manservants. Merlin - however - was the first person to drop the crown at one point,which nearly ended in it being broken.

Gwen frowned."Yes - I have no reason to object. You two are perfect for one another,and if anyone should object,then they are surely in the wrong." She explained,noticing how Merlin smiled to himself in the reflection of the window.

"There was one." Arthur replied,sitting down on the chair,his elbows placed on his knees as his head rested on clasped hands. The crown was set back on the table again as he stared up at Gwen."In the council meeting only moments before. One of my advisers objected strongly to my choice,and..and _dared _to insult Merlin." His anger had begun to crawl up his throat again as he spoke through a clenched jaw."He gave me reasons that Camelot would become poor in respect should two Kings rule. Yet,I see no problem so far. Do you,Gwen?" He asked."See a problem?"

Gwen shook her head and made her way to sit down besides Arthur."No,Arthur." She began,smiling softly."Camelot has become such a wondrous place,after what you did for Merlin. Those who object to your choice should feel ashamed - who would want to change the effects that brought Camelot happiness?" She commented,yet her words wavered slightly as she looked elsewhere.

Arthur stared at Gwen."Is there another?" He asked."Is my kingdom disapproving of my choice to marry another male?" His intent stare made Gwen feel guilty by hiding the opinions she had heard lurking about the village. There were only a small number,so she thought that it would only pass,with the over-ruling of those who approved. Yet,as she wandered the village,she heard the same comments being fed back and forth amongst the people.

"Gwen,you said you would answer things truthfully. Tell me,is there another?" Arthur said more sternly."Do they not approve of the love I have for Merlin?" He asked,and Gwen stood up to move away from him as his tone of voice sounded almost desperate.

Gwen bit her bottom lip as she looked away from the blonde,her arms hugging her chest as she refused to speak. Her eyes wandered over to the reflection in the window,and her heart sank as she saw how Merlin looked dreadfully distraught that there were others that did not approve.

"I will not stand for this." Arthur said as he stood up,placing the crown back on his head."There will be no objections when the time comes - I will make certain that nobody dares to. Nobody is going to ruin this day,especially for Merlin." He explained as he exited the room with a strong slam of the door,making the warlock behind the dressing screen jump.

"_Oh God,what have I done?" _Gwen whispered as she made her way over to the chairs and sat down,watching as Merlin made his way towards her,sitting down on the chair besides her and saying nothing."I'm sorry,Merlin." She said,quietly as she looked over at the warlock."I didn't wish to say anything; it's such a happy day,and I wanted to have you know that - no matter what - you should continue with the marriage." She explained,reaching her hand hesitantly towards Merlin - but she needn't do any more as Merlin allowed her to hug him."Don't pay mind to what others think,Merlin. You're five years strong,and Arthur won't allow anyone to disrupt that." She reassured.

Gwen was about to say something else when a toll from the bell sounded - it wasn't the warning bell,but an indication for everyone to gather around the balcony for the King had something to say."And it looks like he is setting things straight now." She said,hearing the villagers outside stop what they were doing to progress towards the courtyard,under the balcony.

'..._I have called for this because there..' _Arthur's voice was heard muffled not that far away,since the balcony room was only a few doors down the hallway they were in.

It wasn't long before Merlin had changed back into his normal attire and made his way towards the balcony room alongside Gwen. They both made it into the room without a sound,spotting Arthur already on the balcony and addressing the villagers. They kept inside the room,instead of going out on the balcony,as they didn't want to disturb the speech.

"I do not appreciate secrecy in Camelot." Arthur was saying."And I have recently been informed that there is a number of comments circulating around the village,concerning the up-coming marriage of myself and Merlin. These are not pleasant comments; they are comments of disapproval."

At this,a large gasp went through the crowd at the new information.

"I have only one thing to say about this: those who disapprove would do me the honour of leaving Camelot for good,as I will not have this day ruined. I will not have hateful looks given to Merlin,should those who disapprove wish to do so." He explained,before concluding with:

"I hope you have it in your right mind to decide whether to leave,or to approve of this marriage." Before giving one final look at the villagers and retreating back into the room,surprised to see that he had company in the form of his current topic and the one who informed him.

"Where have you been hiding,Merlin?" Arthur asked,making his way over to him and kissing him on his forehead,secretly hoping that he had only just arrived and hadn't heard his disappointed rant.

"Behind the dressing screen in Gwen's chambers." Merlin answered,then realized the question was the form of a joke - not a serious one. Arthur looked over at Gwen.

"Is there anything else hidden?" The blonde asked Gwen; she had lied,but also kept a secret about those who disapproved. Gwen shook her head."I should hope not." He added,before facing Merlin with a neutral expression,even though he felt riled up inside."Did you know this?" He asked,calmly.

"No,I didn't." Merlin answered,shaking his head."It's new to me,too." He added,quietly as he looked down at the ground. He didn't know how to feel at the moment,but he knew where he wanted to go."If you don't mind,I'm going to head over to Gaius." He explained,looking up at Arthur.

Arthur nodded and kissed Merlin's forehead again."Everything will still go as planned." He promised,before allowing the warlock to leave.

* * *

><p>There was a great smell of heather when Merlin entered the quarters that used to be his humble abode. He saw Gaius leaning over a tripod with a marble dish set ontop of it,which contained the purple substance that he managed to melt into a liquid by the fire underneath the tripod. The smell was positively strong and Merlin scrunched up his nose as he made his way towards the old man.<p>

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked as he stood besides Gaius,looking down at the liquid in the marble dish. Gaius smiled up at Merlin,saying nothing,before adding a brown powder to the liquid. This seemed to turn the liquid of heather into a pink colour,and a different smell arose. This smell was more sweet and serene that allowed Merlin to relax,and not having to worry about the stronger smell from before.

"Making perfume nowadays,Gaius?" Merlin laughed,earning himself a light hit on his shoulder and a shake of the head.

"Gotten more cheeky nowadays,Merlin?" Gaius played back,laughing afterwards also.

It had been a while since Merlin set foot in his quarters,and it was nice to the old man to experience the same cheeky attitude of the warlock."I suppose you would call it a perfume. It's an incense; a strong smell to revive my patients that are unconscious. The heather you grew in your magic display has been very helpful,thank you." He explained,extinguishing the fire once the process was finished.

It was a while before he was able to tip the contents into a glass vial,and put a stopper in it for he had to wait until the liquid cooled first."I am making a few of these,just in case." He added,before opening up a box and revealing over twenty vials of different coloured liquids,adding the new addition next to an orange coloured one. Gaius then retrieved his staff and made a slow journey over to a book shelf; his old bones had slowed his walk,and he had to take intervals when they gave up on him.

"So,why have you come here,Merlin?" Gaius asked as he took down a large tome from the shelf,before making it over to the table again. Merlin drew up a chair for him so he could study the book sitting down,instead.

"There's a problem." Merlin said as he examined the incense in the box.

"Oh,yes?" Gaius said,flipping a few pages in the book before stopping at one,resting his hand on the page as he looked up at Merlin."What might that be?"

"The marriage." Merlin began,and Gaius thinned his lips and nodded."Some people don't think it should be right that there be two Kings. And Arthur had a mean encounter with one of them in the council meeting this morning. I wasn't present,but he explained to Gwen whilst I was hiding behind her dressing screen." He explained.

Gaius needn't question why Merlin was hiding behind a dressing screen,since he knew how the warlock acted,and there was no confusement when it came to the situations he explained. It was simply Merlin.

"I see." Gaius replied,nodding his head again."You do remember,Merlin,that I did explain to you all that while ago that you would encounter such problems?" He asked,thinking back to how Merlin told him about his relationship with Arthur - and how he had warned him there would be people who disagree in the future,and that was now.

"Yes,but nobody spoke up in those five years." Merlin objected,closing the box with the vials."So,why interrupt the marriage?"

Gaius drew in a deep breath,then let it out through his nose."You see,Merlin,nobody dared to speak up throughout those years because they were afraid to go against Arthur. Especially since his love for you was young,and nobody would want to mess with the feelings of him during that stage." He explained."It was like that when Uther and Igraine were together. There were a few who didn't like Igraine,but Uther wouldn't let that stop him. And look what his choice resulted in. Arthur Pendragon was born. If his son wasn't born,then Camelot wouldn't be as happy as it is now. Uther continued to be strong for his wife,even long after she was gone." Gaius beckoned Merlin forward and the male complied,standing next to the old man."Now,Merlin - would Arthur let you down?"

"No." Merlin replied."No,he wouldn't. As do I."

Gaius looked up at Merlin with intent."Exactly." He spoke."Do not pay mind to what those who disagree say. Good things will come out of the right choice,Merlin. Arthur will do the same." He concluded.

"You're right." Merlin said,smiling."Thank you,Gaius." He was truly thankful for his friend. Gaius had always given him good advice since the first time he set foot in his quarters and revealed his magic by accident.

"I'm glad we have that sorted." Gaius said,smiling then turned back to his book."Whilst you're here,could you do me a favour?" He asked.

Merlin mentally groaned; it was just like old times,running around for Gaius,doing odd jobs and collecting ingredients."Sure." Merlin replied,trying to sound chipper."What do you need?"

"Could you go over to Geoffrey's quarters and collect the bundles of books for me?" Gaius asked."He has kindly issued helpful books to me when he passed away." He explained,for his friend had recently passed away due to old age. Geoffrey was the number one scribe in Camelot,and a dear friend of Gaius's who helped him numerous times during the years.

"Will do." Merlin replied. He couldn't refuse Gaius,since he knew the passing away of Geoffrey and it was only polite to comply with his wishes.

"Thank you,Merlin. They should be on the table he worked at." Gaius added as Merlin made his way out of the room.

* * *

><p>Geoffrey of Monmouth was certainly a dedicated and busy man when he was upon the earth,for the shelves were stacked full of different types of tomes and scripts which were collecting dust since the passing of the weeks.<p>

No books were left with blank pages as Geoffrey would spend hours at his desk,scribbling away with his quill and ink against the rough paper.

No books were rushed,or messy as Merlin seen a few times when he studied some of the books when he needed an insight into things. Geoffrey had all sorts of books,and valuable information that nobody knew where he stored it all.

The bundle of books that Gaius told about were,indeed,on the table,stacked neatly and wrapped in cloth for preservation. Merlin walked over to the table and was about to pick up the bundle when he noticed a book set in the middle of the table,untouched. Curiosity took ahold and he sat down on Geoffrey's chair as he examined the front cover. It had no title and the cover was leather that had a fine spine and binds of black that secured the book tightly.

Merlin looked over at the door,making sure nobody was there,before opening up the binds and opening to the front page where a title jumped from the page in black and neat handwriting:

**'_The Legend of_ _Arthur Pendragon with the progression of Camelot' _**

Underneath the title,there was a finely painted picture of the Pendragon emblem with the birthdate of Arthur and a sentence underneath:

**'_From now on,I am lifting the ban and allowing magic in Camelot; forever.' _**

****The date of the lifting of the ban was set in gold next to it.

There was nothing more to the page,so Merlin moved onto the next page carefully,trying not to harm the paper since it looked fairly new. The next page had an introduction to Arthur,and read as follows:

'_Born of Uther and Igraine Pendragon,Arthur came to be known as the fine prince of Camelot; a loyal knight,and a respectable son of the King. He grew up to be a noble young sire,and progressed towards tribute for the kingdom._

_Thus far was he notable for his loyalty to the kingdom he would soon come to rule,after the unforunate passing of the King; his father. Though was his destiny to become King,and a majestic one became he._

_As noticed for his attitude,come forth his greatest hours during the defending of Camelot; from the evil of magic,through to the unwanted of company that downfalled the kingdom. Arthur Pendragon..'_

The introduction progressed towards Arthur's noticed achievements,such as battles and helping neighbouring kingdoms during his prince status. These filled more than three pages,and Merlin skipped a few as Geoffrey wrote a generous amount of praise for Arthur.

There were a few more pages of the life of Arthur,from his childhood days up to his teenage years; explaining how he trained to become a great knight,and his arduous journey on his preparation into taking over his father's role of King. Then came the time when Merlin became his manservant,and his name was even mentioned:

'_Merlin was appointed the manservant of Arthur,as issued by Uther - and it was this manservant that served under Arthur for long years that brought change to Camelot. For though Arthur had little faith in Merlin at the start,the two began to see different about one another and this resulted in the first step of Arthur becoming the great King he was._

_Merlin had hailed from a poor background,yet his advise and wisdom brought great encouragement to the prince and began to see Arthur become impeccable in his behaviour. It was this manservant that changed the future of Camelot,for the better. And...'_

The explanation went on about the relationship of the two boys - but not the furthered partnership. It more explained about their friendship,and how Arthur had changed due to Merlin.

"Thank you for putting a kind word of me,Geoffrey." Merlin said as he read further into the book. He hadn't realized that an hour had passed since reading the first page,as he was too engrossed in the information. Some of the information of Arthur's life,Merlin didn't know,and he now had new-found knowledge on his fiance.

Merlin had managed to read half of the book already,and this book was quite big. The bit he was currently reading went on to explain the unfortunate passing of Uther and the coronation of Arthur:

'_...for the late King Uther had experienced - and suffered - the effects of cardiac arrest,as pronounced by Gaius; the faithful court physician of the King..' _

There was a page of gratitude for Gaius,and a small background of him. It then went onto Arthur's coronation.

'..._and as Arthur took to the throne,a great cheer was given by his new kingdom. Arthur became the justified and gracious King of Camelot,furthermore and to the present. And with his new power,Arthur gave the most memorable address to his kingdom; the lifting of the ban of magic,with his companion by his side [Merlin] to see forth that there is a credible side of magic that was neither evil,nor distressing. Camelot was given freedom of magic - and for this,Arthur Pendragon was most known for.'_

Merlin couldn't stop smiling as he read the day of the coronation,for Geoffrey wrote it beautifully and accurately. There was no shame in the writing as Geoffrey wrote of the love between the King and Merlin,and how the five years between them had proved beneficial for Camelot:

'_Grand was their love for each other; the manservant and his prince,developing to the fresh start of true companion and his King,and the new turn for Camelot. No evil invaded the kingdom,for the power of sorcery and humble partnership of the two historic males over-ruled,setting forth the happiness that remains in the kingdom furthermore..'_

The book went on about the years of Arthur's reign,and the two relationship of the males. Though little was written of their relationship,the impact of it was clear. Merlin managed to nearly finish the book when he heard the floorboards creak next to him,making him look up quickly to meet the face of Arthur's. Merlin shut the book,just as he read about the time when Arthur proposed to him.

"I went over to Gaius to find you,and he told me I would see you here." Arthur explained for his arrival."He also says for you to get a move on." He added,looking over at the bundle of books,before back at Merlin again.

Merlin smiled sheepishly and stood up,placing the book he was reading to the side. As he did so,he noticed something sticking out of the spine of the book; a note. He looked over at Arthur,who was busy lifting up the cloth off the bundle and examining the stacked books. Merlin pulled out the note and turned away to read it quickly:

_Merlin,_

_I knew Gaius would send you to retrieve the books,so I knew you would find this note. I left the book purposely in sight for you to read. I hope you found it to a good standard,and gave you an accurate insight into Arthur._

_This book is for you to keep,as I reassure myself that you will keep it safe._

_Give my best wishes to Gaius and good health,and that I hope the books I issue him with will prove useful._

_And good luck to you and Arthur; for the future and the history of sorcery._

_Thank you,_

_Geoffrey._

"Merlin,do you still wish to marry me?" Arthur's voice broke through the warlock's thoughts. Merlin scrunched up the note and placed it in the pocket of his jacket,before looking over at Arthur.

".._What?" _Merlin asked. He had heard the question perfectly,but he couldn't believe the context of it.

Arthur sighed and placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder lightly,his expression serious as he repeated the question."Do you still wish to marry me?"

"Of course I do!" Merlin retorted."Why would you ask that?"

"You know why,Merlin." Arthur replied,then decided to explain when Merlin said nothing in return."I don't want people to turn their backs on you when you wander the village." He said,his hand travelling down to Merlin's left hand where he took ahold of it."And if that means-"

"_No." _Merlin said strongly,cutting off Arthur's word."No,Arthur. Don't say that." He said,shaking his head."We've come too far for a couple of comments to stop us now. I was worried before,but I couldn't care less what people think. Those who disapprove; we just have to ignore." He explained,his free hand closing around Arthur's that was holding his left hand.

"Look." Merlin said,bringing forward the book that Geoffrey wrote,opening it up near the end."This isn't complete yet." He mentioned,pointing to the last page that was mentioning the preparation for the marriage."Do you want to make it a happy ending?" He asked,looking back up at Arthur in all seriousness.

Arthur looked down at the page,taking in some of the words that were written,before looking back up at Merlin once the question was asked. There was no hesitation in his answer."Of course I do." He answered.

And he did. He wanted the knot to be tied.

He wanted there to be no complications during the marriage,but the comments were unavoidable,and he could do nothing but warn those who disapproved. Arthur had his mind set on marrying Merlin,and this Pendragon would never leave a mission incomplete. Complications or not,Arthur wanted to end the day with the official ring on the warlock's finger.

"Then,let's make it happen." Merlin spoke as he closed the book."Alright?" He added as he looked back at the blonde.

"Yes." Arthur said as he placed his arms around Merlin's waist,drawing him closer to him as he smiled."Let's." He simply said,before kissing Merlin on the lips gently.

Merlin smiled back before adding pressure to the kiss,closing his eyes as he did so. Even though they had kissed many times,Merlin still felt the thrill of it deep in his stomach where the butterflies roamed.

The even better thing about this kiss was the fact that Arthur rid of the hair on his chin,and he was back to his fresh-face that didn't tickle Merlin's skin.

Merlin had to break the kiss once he felt Arthur's hands roam a little too far down his back,resting on his rear. He pulled back and laughed nervously."This isn't exactly a good place to get to know each other more,Arthur." He indicated,as he felt uncomfortable in a place where a man had recently passed away. It wasn't exactly romantic,to say the least."Maybe we should wait until _after _the marriage." He suggested.

Arthur grinned lightly,before picking up the bundle of books,saying nothing as he proceeded out of the quarters. Merlin picked up the book Geoffrey wrote,before following his fiance.

It was of no surprise that Gaius scolded Merlin for being absent for over an hour.

* * *

><p>The ceremony had arrived,and Merlin was back in Gwen's quarters,getting changed into his new,royal attire that he would be wearing. The warlock's heart was thudding viciously against his chest as he pulled on the now-finished jacket that Gwen had beautifully made,with an aesthetically pleasing design and finely crafted silver buttons that her father had made specifically for Merlin.<p>

The jacket was a sky blue that complimented Merlin's eyes and the engagement ring he wore. There was a black shirt underneath,but the jacket - buttoned up - would cover that. His breeches were black also,and the boots he wore with silver buckles.

"No neckerchief,I'm afraid." Gwen commented as she brushed down Merlin's jacket,laughing softly as she said the comment.

Merlin pretended to be sad about that,and - as Gwen would go - the seamstress took it seriously."But,Merlin,it wouldn't go with the outfit." Gwen said.

"I know,Gwen." Merlin replied."And I would not want to spoil the lovely outfit you tailored for me." He complimented,causing Gwen to smile out of embarrassment.

"I bet you're nervous." Gwen said as she fixed Merlin's hair which had grown a little longer,yet was perfectly trimmed especially."Getting married to the King,and becoming a King yourself. All those responsibilities,and dedication for quite a long time. And then making sure that Camelot is running smoothly,and-"

"Yes,Gwen. Thank you." Merlin said - as if he wasn't already nervous enough as it was. The poor girl hadn't realized that she racked Merlin's nervousness further,and she fumbled around for an apology."It's alright." Merlin laughed,walking over to the long mirror and looking at himself. He stared back at himself and thought it weird to see the day when he would be wearing royal attire,and not the regular manservant clothes that he came to adjust to and - _forgivably _- love.

"You look so handsome,Merlin." A voice from the door said,and Merlin could see in the mirror that it belonged to his mother. He hadn't expected her to arrive yet,so it was quite a surprise. Still,he made his way over to her and gave her a hug,which was returned with a peck on his cheek."You've done such a good job on his outfit,Gwen." She commented,looking Merlin up and down to see to the outfit.

"Thank you,Hunith." Gwen replied,smiling. She had gotten many compliments today,and she couldn't have wished for more happiness. She would get compliments from princesses,ladies and lords from other kingdoms,but there was nothing other than getting compliments from close friends.

Hunith then took her sons hands in hers and looked him in the eyes.

"Are you ready?" She asked,having seen the throne room already set up and the priest waiting on the dais patiently.

There were many royals,guests,knights and friends in the throne room that Hunith began to think that Arthur had invited everyone."I think everyone else is ready,Merlin." She added,though she didn't want to frighten her son. Hunith was the one to bring Merlin towards the dais,since she was the only family that the warlock had,and it was only customary for the parent of the engaged to guide their child to the commitment.

"I think so." Merlin replied,checking his attire once more before nodding. He had taken off his engagement ring and given it to Gwen for after the marriage,as a new one would be put in place; the official eternal ring.

"I want to give you something,Merlin." Hunith said as she released her sons hands to retrieve the item from her dress pocket. Hunith was wearing a pretty dress that Gwen made for her a while back,and today seemed the right occasion to wear it.

The item she retrieved was a brooch in the shape of a half-moon,and she took her sons hand again,placing the brooch on his palm."Your father gave me this when we were young in love. He told me that the moon is the light in the darkness,and so long as I had this - one day,something good will happen. And it has,and I want you to have it." She explained.

"Mum,I-" Merlin tried to object but his mother shook her head.

"Thank you." He finally said and Gwen fixed the brooch onto his jacket. He then followed alongside his mother towards the throne room,where two guards were waiting outside. They looked at Merlin and bowed,before allowing access to the doors.

Merlin breathed in deeply as he stared at the doors in front of him. They were only a push away to his future as ruling King in second - and the final act of companionship with Arthur Pendragon. These thoughts made his heart hammer more and he closed his eyes to calm his nerves.

He now knew how Arthur felt on his coronation as he pushed open the doors,revealing the great crowd of people all stood in perfect lines,leaving a runway for Merlin to walk down. Hunith smiled over at her son as she spotted Arthur at the dais,his back to them but he could tell Merlin had arrived for the priest smiled over his shoulder.

The guests for the marriage all turned their heads to look over at Merlin and Hunith - some smiling,and some bowing their heads in respect for their King in second. Hunith had her arm around Merlin's left one and - after Merlin acknowledged everyone - began to walk with her son down the runway,towards the man who had stolen her son's heart.

"_Good luck." _Hunith whispered once they arrived at the dais,her arm unwinding from her son's as she retreated to the side,standing besides Gaius who was sitting down.

Merlin took another deep breath as he stood besides Arthur,who had looked up by now. Merlin looked over at him and noticed that Gwen had made both their outfits matching,save for the fact that Arthur's jacket was a deepset red and he wore the same colour cape that had a silver clasp at the front. He wore his crown,evidencing Merlin on who,exactly,he was marrying. This made him more nervous.

"_You look incredible,Merlin." _Arthur whispered as they both sat down on their knees in front of the priest,who was ready to begin the ceremony.

"_So do you." _Merlin whispered back,smiling softly afterwards as Arthur nodded up at the priest.

The priest nodded back and looked back up at the quests,clearing his throat as he began:

"We gather here today to witness the marriage of Arthur and Merlin." The priest began,his hands clasped infront of him as he proceeded to tell the customary speech."Who gives this man to be married to this man?" He asked,and Hunith stepped forward.

"His Mother." Hunith announced,before taking Merlin's hand and placing it over Arthur's,squeezing both their hands lightly together and smiling. She then looked up at the priest before moving back besides Gaius.

"Thank you." The priest said,before continuing,"We are privileged to witness the joyous love of a new era - an era that will be nurtured through the devotion of two separate individuals growing together through the common bonds of love. May their marriage bring them the peace,joy,comfort and serenity that is known in the hearts of us all."

Arthur looked over at Merlin again,squeezing his hand gently as the warlock looked back at him.

"And may Arthur and Merlin both find happiness in each season of their marriage - just as we would for each new season of the year. For all seasons bring with them their special moments and memories,as will both these individuals experience for the future of their matrimony. An essential requirement of a good marriage is a strong bond of friendship and trust,which these two have proven to one another for the years they have been together."

"Arthur and Merlin,your love for each other will grow deeper with every passing day,but you must remember that it stands on foundations of true affection and respect for one another. To truly love another person is to be willing to accept both their strong points,and their weak points,with equal understanding and respect."

Merlin took in the words of the priest,and he agreed with everything. Yet,he needn't put his devotion into the requirements,as he knew that they both had already followed it for the five years they were together.

They each knew their strong and weak points,and knew one another like nobody else could. There was always a strong bond between the two boys from the beginning,and nobody could quite understand how they operated when together because they seemed so casual - _so comfortable - _with one another.

The priest then extended his hands,placing his right hand on Arthur's head,and his left hand on Merlin's head as he spoke his next words."Arthur," He began,and the blonde looked up at the priest."Do you take Merlin to be your husband,your partner in life and your one true love? Do you cherish his friendship and love him today,tomorrow and forever? Do you trust and honour him,laugh with him and cry with him? Do you promise to be faithful through good times and bad,in sickness and in health,as long as you both shall live?" He asked.

Arthur trailed his eyes over to Merlin again,smiling softly as he replied: "I do."

'_Merlin..' _A voice spoke,but nobody seemed to take notice of it. Merlin was the only one who could hear it; the voice spoke inside his mind. He tried to concentrate on Arthur,but the voice spoke again.'_Young warlock..' _

Merlin hadn't realized the priest was now looking down at him and speaking the same words,"...tomorrow and forever? Do you trust and honour him,laugh with him and cry with him? Do you promise to be faithful through good times and bad,in sickness and in health,as long as you both shall live?"

'_Meer-lin..' _The voice whispered inside Merlin's mind again. The silence must have grown strong in reality as the guests behind them started to whisper amongst each other,wondering why Merlin wasn't responding.

Arthur squeezed his hand to get his attention,which seemed to work as Merlin looked over at him quickly,then back up at the priest. "I do." He replied to the questions,strongly. The guests behind them stopped whispering,and the silence grew again.

"The rings,please." The priest instructed and Morgana - who was waiting at the end of the room - walked forward with a cushion set on her open palms,with two golden rings nestled in the middle. Morgana made it to the priest and presented him with the rings."Thank you,my Lady." He said as he took the rings and gave them to Arthur and Merlin.

Morgana curtsied and stood besides Hunith.

"Before the rings are exchanged." The priest spoke,"Are there any objections as to why these two should not be married?" He asked.

_Silence._

That's what Arthur wanted to hear. He didn't want any objections,or disruptions - and everyone seemed to be complying to that. The silence lasted a few minutes.

"The vows will now be exchanged." The priest explained when nobody objected. The two males looked over at each other,the rings held in their free hands."Arthur." The priest nodded at the blonde,who smiled lightly back before facing Merlin again.

Arthur took Merlin's left hand,holding it up half-way as he took the ring to place on his finger."Merlin,I have spoken of my love for you at the time of my proposal,but there is many other things I wish to say." He began as he stared at the warlock.

"We've come a long way since we first met,and I regret nothing. I have enjoyed your company throughout the years and would not have become the King I have become today if you were not by my side,advising me and giving me confidence that I can better Camelot. We have been through everything together,risking each others lives for one another and going against any self-respecting rule that my father had put forth." He grinned at this,and so did Merlin."But,it was all worth it to get to where we are now. I could not have wished for anybody better to rule besides me,Merlin." He concluded as he slid the ring on Merlin's finger.

If Merlin's stomach wasn't already full of butterflies,it was now as he felt the ring on his finger. The official ring that finalized everything. It was now his turn to say his vows.

Merlin did the same process of taking Arthur's left hand and getting ready to put the ring on his finger. _'Merlin..' _The voice in his mind began again,and he mentally told it to go away. _'How rude..' _The voice said,before going quiet.

"Arthur,I too, have enjoyed your company,no matter the times we have disagreed in the past." Merlin began.

"It feels surreal that I was once your manservant,and now I am to rule besides you in your reign. But,I too,regret nothing. I promise to stay besides you,through the good and bad times that may arrive in the future,as I have done previously. You gave me a reason to keep on fighting to fulfill the destiny I was given,and that only increased my love for you - you gave me a reason to face each day that dawned with happiness." Merlin smiled after he said that."I too,could not have wished for anybody better,Arthur." He concluded as he slid the ring on Arthur's finger in return.

"Then,with the witness of everyone,I now pronounce you husband and husband." The priest announced once the two boys were done with their vows."You may now kiss." He added.

Arthur stared at Merlin,as Merlin did back,before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the warlock's. As he did this,everyone in the room errupted into a cheer.

'_Merlin..' _The voice returned,and the warlock now recognized the voice.

It was the dragon.

The cheer had now died down as Arthur broke the kiss,smiling at Merlin for a few moments,before he stood up to step up onto the dais. Merlin remained on his knees as the priest was replaced by the blonde.

No sooner was the marriage over,was it the beginning of the coronation for the King in second.

Merlin remained on his knees as he faced Arthur,ignoring the dragon's voice inside his mind. Did he not know that this was an important time? The dragon soon stopped talking as the guests fell silent again and Tom the blacksmith made his way over to Arthur with the crown he produced for Merlin. It was the same design as Arthur's,except this one was made from silver.

"Thank you,Tom." Arthur said as he took the crown from him. Tom bowed and joined sides with his daughter,who was trying her hardest not to shed tears,alongside Morgana who was smiling graciously.

Arthur breathed in deeply as he held the crown above Merlin's head. Everything had run smoothly up to now,with no disturbances from those who disapproved of their marriage. He just hoped it would continue as he wanted to finalize who he would be ruling besides,and nobody would be able to disagree then.

Merlin looked up at him as Arthur began the coronation.

"Merlin," The King began,looking down at his husband with a jovial glint in his eyes."I have chosen you to be the one who I rule besides during my reign,for there is no other that I share this love." He explained,and he could hear Morgana let out a sound of approval through her tears."Will you do me the honour of ruling besides me; to better Camelot,and to protect the kingdom you will be ruling. To be loyal and kind-hearted,and to aid me through every possible situation?" He asked.

Merlin nodded twice before replying: "I will." Loud and clear.

"Then you accept the responsibility of King in second?" Arthur asked,even though he wanted to hurry the coronation up,but he knew it was only customary and he had to ask the questions.

"Yes." Merlin replied.

That was all that needed to be asked as Arthur lowered the crown on Merlin's head,placing it gently and with care as he concluded the coronation with the words that Morgana used: "Then,rise,King Merlin." And Merlin did,his hand taken by Arthur's as they moved to seat themselves on their thrones.

Morgana let the tears flow as she began to clap,encouraging everyone in the room to join in. The clapping soon turned to cheering,'_All Hail King Merlin!' _and the throne room was errupted into noise. It was like Arthur's coronation all over again,and the blonde simply smiled over at Merlin.

On the other hand,Merlin couldn't stop himself from grinning as the praise continued on. No other feeling could out-shine the one he was experiencing right now as his name was cheered. Everthing was finalized; his destiny had been fulfilled,and he had gotten what he wanted.

The dragon was right about the future all those years ago - and if it wasn't for the beasts advice,Merlin would not have gone on with his destiny,and would most probably have escaped Camelot by now.

As his thoughts turned to the dragon,he remembered how the creature had been whispering to him during the marriage and the coronation. Merlin turned to look at Arthur."Arthur,can we go outside,into the village?" He asked,the cheers nearly drowning out his voice as he spoke.

Arthur nodded and stood up,his free hand motioning for everyone to quieten down. Merlin stood up after him,their hands still entwined as they faced everyone. The guests quietened down quickly and waited for their King to speak."The procession will carry on in the village." He announced,before looking over at Merlin.

Merlin smiled at the blonde before being led out of the throne room by him,followed by the other royals and then the rest of the party that were invited. A few comments were exchanged as they followed the two Kings,wondering why it would continue in the village,rather than the balcony as it had done with Arthur's coronation.

The journey was only short and the two boys were met with hundreds of villagers surrounding the castle; it was the scene of five years ago,yet they were facing the crowd,rather than addressing them.

The praise began again as the two King's walked to the main centre of the courtyard,where they stepped up onto the platform that had been used for executions all those years ago. Arthur had only issued two executions during his reign,for those were the reason of treason and the damned deserved the consequences - Merlin wasn't too fond of executions,but he had reason to believe the two were guilty. No further executions had been made,and Arthur planned to keep it that way.

As they stepped up onto the platform,there were a few confused expressions amongst the crowds,alongside a few grave ones. Arthur recognized those to be the ones who disapproved of the marriage,and it took all his will not to shout at them as he stared at them.

The grave faces stared back weakly,before looking away under the intense stare their King was giving them. But,the blonde's stare was broken as a strong wind rushed past the courtyard. He looked over at Merlin and saw him staring up at the sky. The villagers were now,also,staring up at the sky as around four forms had blocked out the sunlight and were heading straight for the courtyard.

The knights that were on the guidelines moved forward quickly,and Arthur was about to withdraw his sword when Merlin grasped his hand,stopping him from doing so."Merlin - do you know what they are?" Arthur asked,watching as the forms drew nearer,the sun not yet on their side so they could be seen.

"It's the dragon." Merlin replied,and Arthur could now see the grand dragon alongside another dragon,and two younger dragons.

Arthur dismissed the knights."Make way for him." He called out to the villagers as the dragon made to touch down. The villagers quickly moved out of the way and created a clear space for the dragons to land.

The dragons flew down onto the clearing,before making into a walk as they stretched their wings after the flight. The dragon that had advised Merlin looked over at the warlock and smiled greatly."Ah,young warlock." He spoke,his voice booming through the villager's bodies."It seems I was late for your coronation - what a shame." He added,making his way towards the platform,followed by the two younger dragons that lingered around his claws.

The dragon was now stood in front of the platform,and he bowed his head towards Arthur."It's nice seeing you again,your Majesty." He greeted.

"Likewise." Arthur spoke,nodding his head back. He then looked down at the younger dragons,and the great beast noticed.

"Do not be so rude,little ones." The dragon said to the two dragons,his head bowing down to push them lightly forward."This man granted me my freedom. Greet him." He instructed,and the two dragons looked up at the blonde.

The other dragon - who remained at the clearing - looked over at Merlin,and the warlock smiled at it. The dragon was a lighter colour,and had bright orange eyes that stood out from it's body. The dragon smiled back at Merlin softly."_Hello." _Merlin said in his mind,directed at the orange-eyed dragon.

"_You must be Merlin." _The dragon replied,and Merlin was shocked to hear that it was a female voice. It was a she-dragon."_He talked about you alot." _She added.

"_Oh,so he can talk without riddles?" _Merlin replied,laughing mentally. The she-dragon laughed back.

Merlin paid his attention back to the great dragon and Arthur,and was amused to see the younger dragons playing with the blonde.

One of them was sat on his head,whilst the other had curled itself around his feet. The villagers were trying their hardest not to laugh,but there was a few chuckles here and there."I didn't know there were other dragons." Merlin commented as the one on Arthur's head flew over to him. The warlock extended his arm,and the dragon clutched onto it,climbing up Merlin's arm and sitting on his shoulder.

"There are many dragons,yet they remain hidden." The great dragon explained as he beckoned for the she-dragon to come forward."I met my companion a few months after I was freed from my shackles. I have since settled down with her,and I now have these two offspring." He explained,chuckling as the dragon around Arthur's feet flew up into the blonde's arms.

"Have you enough priorities for these young ones?" Arthur asked as he held the young dragon in his arms,his hand reaching up to stroke the creature's head. The creature pushed against Arthur's hand,and settled down in his arms.

"We have been on the move." The she-dragon said,her wings lowering slightly."It's been difficult to find appropriate surroundings. There are still many who hunt dragons." She explained.

Arthur looked down at the dragon in his arms,before looking over at Merlin who was currently having trouble with the other young one,with it's claws getting tangled in his hair as it tried to rest on his head. Merlin eventually managed to free the dragon and also held it in his arms,trying to settle it.

Arthur looked back up at the she-dragon."There are caves West of here,which are still on the borders of my kingdom,Camelot. They haven't been disturbed for over five years,but they have recently been recovered and made appropriate - Lady Morgana has decorated the place with flowers,and a few of my councilors have been useful enough to restore the ruins on the other side of the cave." Arthur explained,looking down at the dragon in his arms again.

"If it is of any help,you are welcome to live in those caves for however long you wish. None shall disturb you,but I will have some of the maidservants deliver you food every month." He offered,looking back up at the great dragon.

"It is too much to ask." The great dragon responded,shaking his head.

"Nonsense." Arthur replied,"You are a friend of Merlin's,and I am willing to support your family since you have caused no trouble." He explained.

The young dragon Merlin held had now flown back to it's mother,resting on the great of her back and waiting for it's sibling to join it. The dragon in Arthur's arms looked up at the blonde briefly,before flying to join it's sibling.

The dragon seemed to be thinking of the offer as he looked over at his family,the she-dragon looking back with a small smile. The dragon then looked back at Arthur and nodded."Thank you,sire." He replied,accepting the offer.

"I hope it will suit you." Arthur said,and the she-dragon lent forward and pressed her nose against Arthur's cheek.

"It is more than enough." The she-dragon responded,drawing back and smiling. Her companion bowed his head and asked for a pardon in going to see the caves. Arthur allowed him and soon,the family of dragons had flown back into the sky and towards West,guided by a few knights on horseback.

"Your Majesty." A small voice said from besides the blonde,near the platform edge.

Arthur looked at the source and saw one of those who disapproved; he thinned his lips,but he decided to listen to what the brute had to say.

"..We-" The male said,indicating the group of people around him,who all nodded."- would like to apologize." He began."For our comments that may have offended towards the marriage. We were vain in our opinions,and we were only briefed on the attitude of our Majesty. We were quick to judge,and we apologize for disapproving of the marriage. We now see the positive side of the marriage,and we hope you forgive our rudeness." He explained quickly,stepping back slightly when Arthur moved forward.

Merlin feared the worse and placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder,wanting no violence to avail. Yet,the blonde did no such thing.

"Apology accepted." Arthur spoke,but gave no handshake. Merlin was alright with that,and it seemed the group below did as well as they breathed a sigh of relief."But,that doesn't mean to say that unruly comments will always be forgiven." Arthur spoke up,addressing everyone again.

'_Still the ever fierce Arthur.' _Merlin thought as Arthur gave his warning comment,before excusing everyone as he looked over at the warlock and they both made their way back inside the castle.

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><p>Merlin took off his crown as he entered the chambers which they both lived in. He didn't know how Arthur put up with wearing the heavy crown all day. He placed his crown on the table and went over to the bed,standing in front of it before collapsing on his back onto it.<p>

"Still lazy as always." Arthur commented as he entered the chambers a short while after,taking off his own crown,placing it besides Merlin's and brushing back his hair with his hand. He then closed the door,wishing not to be disturbed for the day was already dawning on him,before making his way towards the bed and sitting down next to the warlock."If you were still my manservant,I would have you scrubbing every floor in the castle by now." He explained.

"You wouldn't be that mean." Merlin responded."..Well,maybe." He added as Arthur raised an eyebrow at him.

Merlin sat up after a while,looking over at Arthur."You know,that was a nice thing you did for the dragon." He commented,his hand closing over Arthur's.

Arthur took Merlin's hand before saying,"I try everyday to become a better King than my father was." He explained,looking up at the other male."And if that means going against his rules,then so be it. His rules are long-gone now,but I still try to improve my kingdom by learning from his mistakes."

"You do know that you're still a royal prat,no matter what?" Merlin mentioned,grinning.

"And you my idiotic manservant?" Arthur asked back,smiling wide.

"No doubt." Merlin replied,and Arthur nodded."But,only we know that."

Arthur chuckled before he squeezed Merlin's hand and lent forward to ghost his lips across the warlock's cheek,waiting for the right message. It came in response when Merlin turned his face and pressed his lips against Arthur's strongly - a certain message as the blonde reached forward to unbutton Merlin's jacket carefully,as not to harm the tailoring that was made especially for today. The buttons were easily undone and Arthur shed Merlin's jacket as they continued to kiss,the blonde's hands moving to trail up the warlock's waist gently and shed the black shirt that was underneath. They had to break the kiss for this,and for this,Merlin moved to lie in the middle of the bed,his head resting on the pillows as Arthur also moved to rest between the warlock's legs.

It was as though de ja vu was upon them,drawing back to the first time they held one another,as they stared back into each other's eyes. Arthur staring into the eyes of the manservant who he once thought useless; and Merlin staring up into the eyes of the prince who he once thought a prat.

Though,their bodies were used to one another by now and they shared both passion and willingness as the day drawn to an end. Wise were those who daren't disturb the Kings in their intimate finalization of the events of today.

And although the previous hand of which wrote in the book of Arthur Pendragon had passed,a new paragraph was added in conclusion of the tying of the knot; and the book grew in words as the future progressed in Camelot;

'_Forth the marriage of Arthur and Merlin in the months after the fifth year of the lifting of the ban on magic in Camelot. Concluding,for which most were certain,that Arthur truly was the greatest King of Camelot - for he paid more to the needs of others,than to which himself. _

_And forth came the two Kings of Camelot; the Pendragon reign which may have ended with Arthur,but not in the minds of those who took great respect in the two historical Kings. For a prince and his manservant were to be known generously for their bestowing of the light in the darkness.'_

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><p><strong>That's all,dear readers.<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed this fan-fiction,as I did writing it.**

**Thank you for the lovely reviews previously,and all the favourites and alerts.**


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